


Forgotten

by FuryRed



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Charles Xavier has a Ph.D in Adorable, Erik Has Feelings, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Memory Loss, Protective Erik
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-08-10 10:39:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7841563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuryRed/pseuds/FuryRed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles is having a really bad day. Not only has he woken up in the middle of the afternoon with no idea where he is or how he got there, but when he returns home he’s confronted by a stranger with intense eyes, who insists that he knows Charles rather more intimately than Charles remembers…</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

It was the worst day of Charles’ life, and he never even knew it.

By the time he awoke on that late Friday afternoon, sprawled out on a park bench with low sunlight playing across his face, the damage had already been done. And he had no idea.

Sure, there was a hint of confusion- Charles couldn’t quite remember leaving the university that day, couldn’t remember coming to the park- to be honest he couldn’t even remember waking up that morning- but as he sat up on the bench his feet knocked against a bottle on the floor, and suddenly things made a dull kind of sense.

 _"Ah, whiskey…”_ , Charles thought, toeing the empty bottle on the ground with the point of his shoe. _“Really professor, day drinking? We’ve not done this for a while, have we?”_

A low pounding in his head seemed to affirm the assumptions that were forming in his cloudy mind. Clearly, for some unknown reason Charles had gone to the park that afternoon, and had proceeded to get rip-roaring drunk before passing out. Genius.

Charles stood up off of the bench, wobbling slightly as he found his feet and smoothing out his wrinkled clothes. It was a warm day, and his knitted jumper provided far too much heat, so he shrugged it off and wrapped it over his arm as he began to wander out of the park and towards home, rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt as he walked.

This was just really fucking annoying, honestly. As a telepath Charles was so used to having complete control over his own mind, so to suddenly have blank spots where knowledge should be was infuriating, particularly when the smell of alcohol on his clothes seemed to indicate that it was all his fault. But it’s not like this sort of behaviour was unprecedented- a dark spell a few years ago had resulted in copious amounts of alcohol and more than a few memory lapses. Still, to have fallen off the wagon so spectacularly now was, well, very strange…

Before long Charles reached home, walking up the steps to his town house as he searched in his trouser pocket for the keys that were mercifully still there. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, taking in the quiet surroundings as he began to move through the rooms heading for the kitchen.

A strong cup of tea was in order, that was for sure. Charles filled the kettle with water and set it to boil, throwing his jumper over one of the kitchen stools before gathering a cup and beginning to prepare the tea. Moments later he sank down on the sofa in the living room, cup of tea in hand. By the time he had downed the last of his drink Charles could feel a weariness settling in- his eyelids drifting closed as he lay back against the sofa cushions. _“Odd”_ , he thought, _“To be so tired after spending all afternoon napping…”_

Regardless, he allowed sleep to take him.

 

 

 

When he awoke some hours later the room was dark. Charles was laid back against the sofa, his shirt slightly damp with sweat and sticking to him. His eyes adjusted to the dimness of the room, objects starting to come into focus as the glow of streetlamps filtered through the open curtains. Outside he could hear traffic and the footsteps of people walking by, and… something else.

He could hear… breathing. Someone nearby was breathing very heavily. But if he could hear it so clearly then it couldn’t possibly be outside, it had to be coming from inside the house.

Jolting up to a sitting position Charles whirled around to look at the living room door just as a figure stepped into the room. The man in the doorway surveyed the room- eyes darting first to the open door to the kitchen and Charles’ jumper on the stool, then back to the living room and Charles’ cup on the coffee table, and then finally to Charles himself.

He rushed forward immediately, coming at Charles in a hurry as Charles reeled backwards- stumbling off the side of the sofa and backing away across the room. Charles banged into a desk behind him and fumbled frantically at its surface, fingers closing at last around a silver letter-opener that rested on the desk and brandishing it towards his presumed assailant.

The man stopped advancing at Charles abruptly, standing still for a moment before carefully taking one further step towards Charles. His movement brought him into the light, and for the first time Charles could see him clearly. His entire body broadcasted tension- from his clenched fists to his tightly set jaw, but in his green eyes Charles only saw… confusion. Given that this stranger had burst into his house and come after Charles, naturally Charles expected the man to be bristling with rage and venom, but he couldn’t sense any ill-will in the man’s surface thoughts at all, there was only… concern.

“Charles, are you okay?”, the man asked softly.

This person knew him? How was this possible? Charles had never seen him before.

“Charles?”, the man asked again.

“Who are you? What do you want?”, Charles asked, still pointing the letter-opener at the mysterious stranger.

The man’s eyebrows raised in surprise and his mouth clamped shut. He stared at Charles for a long moment, as if trying to understand the situation.

Charles hoped at least one of them understood what the hell was going on.

“Who are you?”, Charles asked again, trying to keep his hands from shaking. He knew that this man meant him no harm- he had gleaned as much just from the energy that his mind was giving off- but he still wanted someone else to explain the rest.

“I’m... I’m yours”, the man answered, staring him straight in the eyes.

“What?”, Charles spluttered, “What the hell does that mean?”

“You really don’t know me?”

“I’ve never seen you before in my life”.

The stranger swore under his breath, turning away from Charles and beginning to pace whilst pressing his face into his hands.

“I knew when you went missing that something was wrong, I knew there had to be a reason why you’d disappear for ten days, but I never imagined…”

“What are you _talking_ about?”, Charles asked, his voice cracking with stress.

The man looked back at Charles, sadness etched on his face. He glanced down at the letter-opener still in Charles’ hand and sighed.

“You don’t need to do that; I’m not going to hurt you”.

“I don’t think you’re in a position to be telling me what to do, seen as you’re clearly insane”.

“What??”, the man exclaimed incredulously.

“Well, why else would you break into my house and start rambling on at me like you knew me?”

The man sighed again deeply, looking at Charles like it caused him great pain to see him.

“Charles… This is our house”.

Charles looked around the room, searching quickly for any evidence that this man could be right- that Charles could actually be the crazy one- but he saw nothing but his own possessions; his books, his photographs, his chess set.

“You’re crazy, you don’t live here”, Charles said defiantly.

“I can assure you I do”.

“Well then where are your possessions?”, Charles demanded. “And why aren’t there any pictures of you?”

The look that crossed the man’s face then could only be described as embarrassment.

“I don’t like having my picture taken”, he said softly.

Charles scoffed, growing more and more exasperated by the situation.

“Listen, mate, I’ve had enough of this. You need to get out of my house, otherwise I’m going to call the police”.

“That won’t do you any good”, the man responded calmly.

“No? Well then maybe I’ll get rid of you myself”, Charles replied, stepping closer to the stranger and gesturing the letter-opener at him. Of course, Charles wasn’t really going to cut him- he could do more damage with his telepathy than his hands anyway, but as he wasn’t a violent person he had no real interest in either outcome. Still, this intruder didn’t need to know that.

“Charles, put that thing down before you hurt yourself”, the man said softly.

Nothing infuriated Charles more than people assuming he was weak- because he was slight of build, because his face made him look younger than his years, because he was kind. He was stronger than anyone would ever know.

The man had barely finished speaking before Charles advanced towards him, waving the letter-opener wildly. The stranger’s face registered surprise for a second before turning calm and deadly as he gestured with his fingers and the letter-opener flew out of Charles’ hand and embedded itself in the nearby wall.

Charles’ mouth dropped open in shock as he absorbed what he’d just seen, before quickly beginning to raise his left hand to his temple as he prepared to defend himself. Once again though, his attempts were thwarted, this time by a sharp pull on his wrist that dragged his hand back down to his side.

“Don’t, Charles, please, I’m not going to hurt you”, the man begged, moving closer to him.

Charles looked down at his hand as he tried to comprehend what was happening, his eyes taking in the metal bracelet that encircled his wrist. This, too, was something he had never seen before.

“What the hell did you do to me?”, Charles demanded accusingly, glaring up at the stranger with fury burning in his blue eyes.

“I know I can’t stop you- not really, not for long, but I hoped if I could delay you then you might listen to me”, the man responded, drawing closer still to Charles and staring down at him. “I know you Charles, I’ve known you for a long time. We live here together, and if you don’t believe me, look at the bracelet on your wrist”.

At that, the pressure that was pinning Charles’ hand down relented, and he was free to bring it up to his face. He regarded the bracelet that enclosed his wrist with quiet curiosity, his eyes flicking over the initials ‘CFX’ on the top of it- his initials.

“Look at the other side”, the stranger requested.

Charles flipped his hand over, and sure enough on the other side were another set of initials- ‘EML’.

“Erik Magnus Lehnsherr”, the man supplied. “I made it for you”.

Charles eyes roamed once again over the bracelet, noting that there was no clasp on the thin metal circlet- it was simply fitted to his wrist, with no discernible method of removal possible.

Charles looked back up at the man- Erik, questions suddenly burning hot through his mind.

“What did you mean when you said that you were mine?”, Charles asked, his voice quivering slightly.

“Precisely that. You’re mine and I’m yours”, Erik said calmly. “We live here together; we share a bed…”

Charles closed his eyes.

No, that couldn’t be possible. Sure, he’d known for a long time that he wasn’t entirely straight, but other than the occasional drunken kiss he had never done _anything_ with a man, so to be told that he was now shacked up with this person… No. Definitely not.

“I don’t believe you”, Charles whispered, breathing hard and staring straight at the ground.

“Then look into my mind”, Erik responded. Charles flinched as Erik reached his hand up to cup Charles’ face, tilting it up so they were staring into each other’s eyes.

“No”, Charles said softly, “I don’t want to see”.

This situation was all wrong. He’d been annoyed enough earlier in the park when he realised he’d lost some time, but to be told now that he’d lost so much more than that. The implications made him feel sick, and he wasn’t about to use someone else’s stolen memories to attempt to put himself back together.

Erik kept his grip on Charles’ face, his fingers tracing gently against Charles' jaw as he looked intently at him with worry and heartache and… love.

No, this was just too much.

Abruptly Charles wrenched out of Erik’s grasp, pulling away from him and stumbling across the room and into the kitchen. He reached the sink and slammed the water on, scooping up large handfuls and splashing it against his face. When he was finished he turned back from the counter to find Erik waiting behind him, still projecting worry and heartache and…

“I need to get out of here”, Charles said in a sudden panic, pushing past Erik.

Erik grabbed him by the arm and whirled him back around, gripping him on the upper arms and staring intently into his face.

“No Charles, you can’t. We don’t know what happened to you, it’s not safe out there”.

“Let me go”, Charles demanded through gritted teeth, squirming in Erik’s strong grasp, to no avail. Erik held on tight, drawing Charles closer to himself as he fought.

“Charles, please”, Erik begged, desperation in his eyes.

“I can’t stay here!”, Charles shouted, his voice coming out panicky and shrill.

“I’m sorry, Charles, but you have to. I have to look after you, I have to keep you safe until we get to the bottom of this”.

Charles whined but stopped struggling, admitting defeat at last. Erik was right, of course. Clearly something very bad had happened, and it would probably be best if he didn’t go wandering the streets until they had answers. Still, concession meant staying here- with this complete stranger who was practically pressed up against him, so close that Charles could smell his skin and feel the heat coming off of his body.

Charles pushed against Erik’s chest and, to his surprise, after a moment of hesitation Erik let go, allowing Charles the space to move back a few paces into the room. They regarded each other for a few moments in silence, both breathing heavily. Eventually Erik tilted his head to one side, looking at Charles with quiet affection and concern.

“I think you need some rest”, Erik said carefully.

He’d spent most of the day sleeping, but somehow Charles still felt exhausted and so he agreed, following Erik when he moved past him and out of the room. Charles trailed after Erik as he walked upstairs, following him down the hallway before coming to stop in front of a door that opened by itself, or, Charles presumed, by Erik’s powers. Erik stepped inside and Charles followed, his eyes glancing around the room that looked familiar but still, somehow, wrong. All of his things were there, but they were in odd places and there were other items he didn’t recognise mixed in with them.

 _"Erik’s things”_ , Charles reasoned, slowly beginning to realise that maybe this wasn’t all some sort of cruel joke.

He looked up to find Erik staring at him intently. It seemed like the only looks Erik gave were intense ones... Feeling self-conscious, Charles looked away, but immediately his eyes landed on the double bed across the room and that only made him feel more shaky and nervous.

“You can sleep in the bed alone, if you want”, Erik said quietly. “I can sleep on the sofa”.

“I have more than one bedroom”, Charles interjected.

“Yes, I know we do. But I want to keep an eye on you, so I’m staying here, okay?”

It wasn’t okay, not really, but none of this was. Charles nodded briefly before stepping past Erik towards the cupboard. It took him a few seconds to locate his pyjamas inside- there were unfamiliar clothes in here too- but eventually he gathered them and closed the drawer before turning around.

Erik hadn’t moved and was staring at him, once again, and so Charles frantically scanned the room before fixing his eyes on the adjoining bathroom and walking towards it, deciding that he’d rather get changed in there than in front of this man, no matter who he claimed to be.

When he came out a few minutes later Erik had moved over to the sofa, leaning over it as he arranged the pillows and unravelled a blanket. When he was finished he turned back towards Charles, who quickly span around before hurriedly walking over to the bed and climbing under the sheets, pulling the blankets all the way up to his chin as he snuggled down. When he looked back over in Erik’s direction he had turned towards the sofa again and was standing with his back to Charles.

Erik reached down and grasped the bottom of his t-shirt, pulling it over his head in one smooth motion. Moonlight bathed the room which gave Charles a pretty good view- noting the firmness of Erik’s skin; leanly muscled and smooth except for the occasional scar. He was still staring when Erik reached down and pulled off his trousers, giving Charles a look at his backside that was still mercifully covered. Erik turned back in Charles direction, causing Charles to frantically roll over away from Erik’s eyeline, blushing furiously.

He could have sworn he heard Erik give a short laugh, which made Charles crawl down further in the sheets.

“Good night, Charles”, Erik said fondly.

Charles closed his eyes, and willed himself to sleep.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

The next morning Charles awoke from a deep sleep, feeling fully rested at last. Sunlight streamed in through the open window accompanied by the sounds of birds chirping. Charles stretched where he lay, scrunching up his face as he kicked the bedsheets off of him.

He sat up gradually- rubbing sleep from his eyes- saw Erik staring back at him, and immediately froze.

Oh, so that had actually happened. It wasn’t a dream after all.

“Good morning, Charles”, Erik said cautiously, gazing over at Charles from where he sat in a chair at the foot of the bed, a newspaper folded open in his lap. He wasn’t dressed, just wearing underwear, and the knowledge of this gave Charles a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“Did you sleep well?” Erik enquired cordially, folding up the newspaper and placing it on the edge of the bed.

“Um, yeah, I guess”, Charles replied, avoiding looking at him. He’d moved his legs so they were folded up to his chest, peeking over the top nervously.

Apparently Charles’ sudden shyness was not lost on Erik.

“Do you want me to put some clothes on?”, Erik offered helpfully, immediately standing up which proved entirely less helpful when it enabled Charles to fully see his form. Charles’ eyes rolled over Erik, finding no safe place to rest and resulting in him just staring at the ground instead.

“I think that would be best”, Charles replied, breathing somewhat raggedly.

Erik walked over to the cupboard and selected himself a t-shirt and a pair of loose cotton sweatpants, pulling them on briskly whilst Charles slowly unravelled from his position on the bed. When he was finished Erik turned back to Charles, smiling softly.

“Breakfast?”

 

 

 

A short while later Charles was sat downstairs at one of the kitchen stools, leaning over the counter and reading the newspaper whilst Erik made them coffee.

“You weren’t lying”, Charles frowned whilst looking at the date in the paper, “I’ve lost ten days”.

“You thought I was lying?”, Erik asked, looking over at Charles questioningly.

“Yeah… no… I don’t know. I guess it was just easier to hope that you were lying rather than accept that I’ve got amnesia or whatever. Only…”, Charles trailed off.

“What is it?” Erik had stopped making coffee and was staring at Charles.

“It’s not just the ten days”, Charles replied, glancing up at him. “I’ve lost that time, but I’ve supposedly known you a lot longer than that, right?”

“Yes…”

“Well, I can remember the time before that- I can remember my friends and my sister and my job, I just can’t remember… you”.

Erik let out a long breath, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “So, everything else is in place, you just don’t remember a single second of our life together?”

“No. How long has it been since we met?”

“Three years”.

“Fuck…”, Charles exclaimed, letting the realisation sink in. “But why would someone do that, why would they erase you from my memories?”

Erik frowned. “What makes you think this is something someone did?”

“Well, how else do you explain it? If it had been some sort of accident then surely I would have just lost time, rather than a person. This seems… deliberate”, Charles uttered finally. “Do you know anyone who would want to hurt me? Or you?”

Erik faltered, unreadable emotion passing quickly over his face as his jaw tightened. He didn’t answer though, turning away from Charles.

“Erik… Is there something you’re not telling me?”, Charles questioned, rising from where he was sat and beginning to cross the kitchen. He hesitated for a second, and then placed his hand on Erik’s bicep and turned him lightly around.

Tension amassed in Erik’s face; his eyes fierce with an anger that Charles couldn’t begin to understand. His body felt tense too- the muscles in his arm taut and rigid under Charles’ fingers as he looked up at Erik, searching for answers.

“Erik, what is it?”, Charles asked softly.

Erik stared off into the middle-distance, clenching his jaw. The quiet in the room was palpable, and not knowing what the hell was going on was really getting to Charles. It was bad enough that he couldn’t rely on his own mind for answers, but now Erik appeared to be keeping things from him too.

Charles let out a disgruntled sound and pushed away from Erik, retreating back around the counter. Of course he could just look into Erik’s mind and find out what he knew, but he suspected Erik would have walls up ready for him. And besides, this was supposed to be someone who cared about him deeply- how was Charles supposed to trust this man if he wasn’t going to be honest with him?

“Charles, I don’t know what’s going on, not completely- not yet. But I promise you I will do everything I can to help you get your memories back”, Erik said with open sincerity. “And in the meantime, I think we need to get you some help, from a doctor”.

Charles scoffed. “I hardly think a quick physical is going to be of any help in this situation”, he replied dryly.

Erik smiled. “Not that kind of doctor”.

 

 

 

On the drive over a sudden realisation hit Charles, and he was embarrassed the thought had only just occurred to him.

“Oh God, if I’ve been gone for ten days- my sister must be worried sick”, Charles cried out, looking over at Erik frantically.

Erik’s jaw tensed as he drove, his hands resting firmly on the wheel.

“Um… I may have not told anyone you were missing”, Erik replied slowly.

“What? Why not?”

“I didn’t want to worry them, and you know what your sister is like”, Erik looked at Charles pointedly. “I just told everyone you were away at a conference. I had hoped I would find you before anyone suspected otherwise”.

“But what do I tell her now?”, Charles said quietly, looking down at his hands twisting in his lap. “How do I begin to explain all this?”

Charles continued to stare down at his lap for a long while, until he felt careful hands on his jaw tilting his face up so that he regarded green eyes- uncompromising and warm in the sunlight. Erik had turned towards him in the car and was looking down at him with concern etched in his face.

“It will be alright, Charles”, Erik spoke softly, rubbing the skin below Charles’ ears with his fingertips. “We’ll get through this”.

The car made another turn and Charles jumped suddenly, realising that they were still moving in spite of the fact that Erik’s hands were no longer on the wheel. He wrenched his face out of Erik’s grasp as he gawked out of the front window in bewilderment.

“It’s alright, Charles, I’m still in control”. At that Erik gestured with his fingers and the car changed gears before beginning to slow down gradually.

“Your telekinesis is remarkable”, Charles said, staring back at Erik in wonderment.

Erik looked pleased. “Thank you”, he smiled, “But it’s not exactly telekinesis- I can only do it with metal- move it, mould it, pretty much anything”.

Charles’ gaze dropped down to the bracelet wrapped around his left wrist. “ _I made it for you”_ , Erik had said, Charles remembered…

“We’re here”, Erik stated, bringing Charles back to himself.

To Charles’ surprise, they were outside the university. It was a Saturday so the campus was quieter than usual, but still brimming with life- Charles could sense it. Suddenly it dawned on Charles who they were here to see.

“You know Hank?”, Charles asked, eyebrows raised in confusion.

Erik gave him a wry smile. “I know who you know- they’re my friends too”, he replied.

 

 

 

Charles had known Hank McCoy for years now, since the day he started work at the university and Hank had collided with him in the hallway, sending books spilling everywhere. Hank was clumsy, certainly, but brilliant- a gifted scientist and, inevitably, a great friend to Charles. The fact that he was also a mutant only made Charles admire him more, even though Hank had never exactly been comfortable with the mutant aspects of his appearance- much like Charles’ sister. At first Hank had tried to conceal his visible mutation- forcing his simian-like feet into uncomfortable shoes at all times- but eventually he had opened up to Charles and had begun to relax around him and let his ‘beast’ side out, strictly in private company of course.

On the walk up to Hank’s office Charles thought about the time in which he’d known Hank, staring at Erik’s back as he followed him down the hallway. How many of those memories were false, how many of them wrong; warped around Erik’s existence? The lack of certainty in Charles’ mind almost made him want to cry.

Charles was so lost in his own maudlin thoughts he didn’t notice Erik had come to a stop at the door to Hank’s office, bumping into his back before Erik reached out a hand to steady him. Erik looked down at Charles questioningly, but didn’t ask.

Taking a deep breath, Charles knocked on the door- stepping inside when Hank answered him.

“Charles, you’re back!”, Hank exclaimed, smiling over at Charles from where he sat behind his desk and adjusting his glasses. “How was the conference?”

Charles and Erik exchanged uncertain glances.

“Hank… I need to tell you something”, Charles said slowly.

 

 

 

It took a while to fill Hank in, though Charles hardly knew where to start. Hank sat with Charles and listened intently as Charles told him what little he understood, Erik telling him even less as he stood by the window with his arms folded, watching them both. If Erik had any information about what might have happened to Charles, he certainly wasn’t sharing it.

When Charles was finished Hank took a deep breath, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded behind his head. He startled suddenly and almost fell off his chair, slamming forward when he regained his balance and looking animatedly into Charles’ eyes.

“Jesus, Charles, does Raven know about this?”

Charles’ stomach turned, feeling guilty at the thought of keeping things from his sister.

“No… And I would prefer it if you didn’t tell her”, Charles said.

“You want me to lie to my wife?”, Hank asked quizzically.

“Not lie exactly”, Charles replied, biting his lip, “Just… don’t tell her anything”.

“Charles, you and I both know that’s the same thing, and whether I lie to Raven or simply withhold the truth she’ll murder me just the same when she finds out”.

“Well let’s just hope she never finds out then”, Erik said from across the room.

Hank looked from Erik to Charles, opening his mouth to protest, but clearly thinking better of it when he saw the desperate look in Charles’ eyes.

Hank sighed. “You know keeping secrets like this is going to be almost impossible to pull off, especially with the party tomorr-…“, Hank froze suddenly, looking at Charles with wide eyes.

Charles titled his head to the side. “What party?”, he asked curiously, looking from Hank’s alarmed expression to Erik’s steely one.

“Oh man, now Raven really is going to kill me”, Hank replied, taking his glasses off and rubbing them against his shirt.

Charles looked back to Erik, searching for answers. Then it hit him.

“It’s my birthday tomorrow”, Charles realised. “I completely forgot… We’re having a party?”

“A _surprise_ party”, Erik responded, glaring hard at Hank.

“Raven’s idea”, Hank added weakly, pushing his glasses back onto his face. “Okay, so ideally we need to try and figure things out before tomorrow, and I guess the best place to start would be attempting to determine why this has happened”. He frowned slightly, “You suspect this is deliberate, right? But frankly Charles I don’t see why anyone would want to do you harm”.

“No, I can’t think of a reason either”, Charles replied, “It’s not like I’ve made any enemies in my line of work…” He trailed off, a new line of thought occurring to him.

Charles stared over at Erik questioningly. “You know I don’t even know what you do for a living. Where do you work?”, Charles asked.

Erik shifted where he stood, and Charles could practically feel the cogs in his head turning.

“I work in recruitment”, he answered eventually.

Charles frowned and waited for Erik to elaborate further, but Erik broke his gaze and turned slightly to stare out of the window instead. Frustrated, Charles turned back to Hank for help but Hank looked almost as lost as he did.

“Okay”, Hank spoke, bringing Charles’ attention back into focus. “I guess if we don’t know _why_ this has happened, we should probably at least try to figure out what it is that’s been done to you specifically. Though I’m not exactly sure how…”

“Well”, Charles responded, “I rather hoped you would be able to help with that. Are there any sort of tests you can do? Scans? Something to take a look at my brain and see if anything’s… damaged”, Charles said finally, swallowing a large lump in his throat.

“Perhaps”, Hank frowned, “Though I hardly know what I’d be looking for. And it’s not like I’ve even got a full range of equipment- we’d only be able to do the most basic of tests…”

“Please, Hank. Anything you can do to help…” Charles pleaded.

Hank sighed. “Okay then”, he said finally. “Let’s go down to the lab and get started”.

Hank and Charles rose from their chairs and headed for the door, Erik following close behind. Once they were outside and Hank was busy locking the door Charles had a sudden and pressing thought, turning around to face Erik.

“You don’t have to come with us”.

Erik stopped abruptly, jaw tightening as he stared down at Charles.

“I’m not leaving you”, Erik replied sternly.

“Erik, I’ll be fine- honest. Hank will be with me, and we’re just going to be running tests, it’s going to be long and boring, and you needn’t stay to watch”.

Charles swallowed deeply before carrying on. “And to be honest, I could do with some space”, he said finally, fighting off a twinge of remorse.

Erik said nothing for a long while, the muscles in his jaw clenching as he stared at Charles with unyielding eyes darker than Charles had ever seen them.

Eventually he broke Charles’ gaze, looking over at Hank.

“Take care of him, and drive him home later. Do **_not_** let him out of your sight”, Erik instructed.

Hank nodded once, and with that Erik turned on his heel and walked briskly down the hallway and out of sight.

Charles tried his best to ignore the guilt and sorrow pooling in his stomach, reasoning that he was entitled to time to himself- he was the one who had been traumatised here, not Erik. Somehow though he knew that wasn’t entirely fair.

“Come on, let’s get started”, Charles said to Hank.

 

 

 

When Hank dropped Charles off later the sun had already set, casting the street in shadows. It had been a long day- full of questions and experiments and guesses but very few answers. Hank had run every test he could think of but could not conclude decisively what had happened to Charles, only able to tell him that- physically- he looked fine. Charles stayed for a while after Hank had finished testing him, trialling his theory about how many of his memories had been tampered with by asking Hank what he knew about Erik, but giving up quickly when he didn’t like the answers.

Charles hesitated for a few moments after Hank had parked at the curb, debating asking Hank to come inside. It was his home, and yet he felt like a stranger there- trapped in a strange situation with a strange man. Of course Erik had been nothing but nice to him, but that didn’t make the situation else less uncomfortable for Charles, in fact, Erik’s tenderness often made it harder.

Charles huffed out a long sigh, staring up at his front door.

“Are you okay, Charles?”, Hank asked, peering at him doubtfully. “Look, if you’re uncomfortable being here you can always come stay with me and Raven”, he offered. Hank always did have tendency to be able to read Charles like a book.

It was a tempting offer, one that Charles was sorely tempted to take, but he knew that Erik would never allow it- he had barely allowed them to be apart the last few hours. No, Charles would just have to gather what courage he could and continue with this improbable situation until it got resolved.

_“ **If** it gets resolved”_ , Charles thought ruefully.

“Thank you, but it’s okay Hank”, Charles responded, “I’ll be alright. Give my love to Raven, yeah?”

Hank nodded, and Charles climbed out of the car and began the slow trudge up the steps to the front door.

When he opened the door and stepped inside the hallway was dark, dim light filtering down from somewhere upstairs. Charles concluded that Erik must have already gone to bed, which he was somewhat grateful for. Climbing up the stairs and walking down the hallway, he stopped abruptly when he heard a noise coming from behind the closed bedroom door.

Charles hesitated, considering continuing down the hall and sleeping in the spare room for the night, but he sensed that Erik would only come looking for him eventually. Charles steadied himself and placed his hand on the door handle, but froze before opening the door when he heard what sounded like a muffled sob coming from inside.

Oh. Maybe Erik had been rather more upset by the events of that afternoon than Charles had realised. Charles couldn’t help but feel guilty for the millionth time that day; he may have only known Erik for one day- from his perspective- but that didn’t mean he wanted Erik’s feelings to be hurt in any way.

Charles took a deep breath, contemplating what the best course of action was. Erik might not react too kindly to being interrupted when he was having an emotional moment, and on the other hand if he wanted comfort Charles certainly didn’t want to have to be the one to have to give it to him. Perhaps instead it would be better to get an idea of exactly what he was letting himself in for, before he went inside. Surely it couldn’t hurt to take a little peek inside Erik’s mind…

Charles directed his mind towards Erik’s, and delved inside…

 

Oh no.

Instantly Charles knew that his assumption about what Erik was doing in the bedroom was very, _very_ wrong.

A wave of sexual energy cascaded over him, making his mind spin and his stomach drop as he involuntarily absorbed what Erik was thinking and feeling and _doing_.

Charles was everywhere in Erik’s mind. He was beneath Erik, legs splayed vulnerably wide as Erik entered him. He was beside Erik, their mouths pressed tightly together as Erik caressed every inch of his skin. He was below Erik, looking up at him in adoration as he opened his mouth and took in his member. A hundred different scenarios and positions played through Erik’s mind, a hundred different intimacies and caresses focused purely on Charles.

_“Oh God”_ , Charles thought, feeling his mind shake and quiver as the impact of what he was seeing seemed to sink in through his skin. He had encroached on Erik’s mind by stepping inside without permission, but he was the one left feeling violated- realising he had no idea whether what he was seeing had actually happened before, or whether it was just the result of Erik’s fevered imagination.

With effort, Charles reeled back from Erik’s mind, physically falling too as he stumbled back across the hallway and slammed into the wall on the opposite side. The impact sent him sprawling to the floor, his legs shaky and weak. He felt Erik startle too from inside the room, and just managed to pull himself to his feet as Erik opened the bedroom door and peered outside.

When his eyes landed on Charles a look of shock and mild horror crossed Erik’s face, his mouth dropping open as he took in Charles’ shaken appearance. Erik’s bare chest was beading with sweat and his normally neat hair had fallen in his face. He opened the door slightly wider, looking like he was about to step outside before he thought better of it, glancing down at his body and continuing to use the door to cover his lower half as he leaned around it.

“Charles, oh my God, I didn’t know…”, Erik spluttered. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were home, I didn’t think…”

Charles could only stare back weakly, breathing hard. He searched for something to say- part of him wanting to apologise for imposing on Erik’s thoughts- but he couldn’t bring himself to admit what he’d done, because that would mean facing what he had seen.

“You were in my mind”, Erik said. It wasn’t a question.

Guilt rocked through Charles, making him feel sicker than he did before. He turned away from Erik sharply- bolting along the hallway and down the stairs whilst Erik called after him.

When he reached the downstairs bathroom he pushed inside, slamming the door behind him and locking it tightly. He leaned back against the door for a long moment, feeling hot and dirty and confused.

…And worst of all, _aroused_.

It couldn’t be helped really- going into someone else’s mind when they were in a state of heightened sexual desire had an osmosis type effect, often pushing the other person into a similar state. Plus, Charles couldn’t escape the fact that it was him Erik was thinking about- his lips, his hands, his… everything. Knowing that someone wanted you in that way, more than knowing it- _feeling_ it. It was a transformative experience.

Charles staggered across the bathroom and turned on the taps over the bath, letting the water slowly fill the tub as he removed his clothes, trembling all the time. Eventually the bath was full and Charles sank down into the hot water, letting it wash over his skin. He lay down in the bath, closed his eyes, and willed his erection to fade.

 

 

 

Charles stayed in the bath for far longer than necessary, cleanliness-wise. His skin was soft and pruning by the time he gathered the strength to get out, still shaking slightly as he climbed out of the tub and wrapped himself in a towel. He paused by the doorway for a long moment, pressing his head against the doorframe and fighting the urge to just climb out of the bathroom window and run away. Eventually, he opened the door and stepped out- heading immediately for the stairs, hoping to just run upstairs, hide in his bed, and go to sleep.

Unfortunately, Erik was waiting for him.

He was stood in the doorway to the living room, arms folded across his chest and fingers tapping out a nervous rhythm as he waited for Charles. He was dressed, Charles noted, though it didn’t make him feel any better. One look at Erik and everything he had seen came rushing back, the memory causing a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Charles swallowed hard and advanced towards the stairs, still planning to just dive into bed and ignore the world, but as he passed by Erik he grabbed Charles by the arm, swinging Charles back round to face him.

“Charles, we need to talk”, Erik said, looking down at him intently.

Charles avoided his gaze, staring off towards the stairs and trying to control his laboured breathing.

“Charles…”, Erik murmured softly, reaching his hand up to cup Charles’ cheek. The touch was too much, and Charles jerked away- pushing Erik with both hands.

“Just leave me alone!”, Charles shrilled, staring Erik hard in the eyes and clenching his fists at his side, fighting contrition when he saw how hurt Erik looked.

Erik forced a long breath out, looking like he was trying to compose himself. He took a further step away from Charles, giving him the space he had requested.

“I’m sorry Charles”, Erik offered. “I know this is hard for you, but it’s hard for me too. When I saw you’d come back yesterday I was so relieved- I just wanted to hold you, kiss you, feel you. I still do. But I know I can’t, because things have changed, and I’m not the same person I was to you”.

Charles unclenched his fists, his mouth softening and a quiet despair creeping over him as he watched Erik.

“I want you safe, Charles”, Erik murmured, looking at his feet. “But more than that, I just want you. It’s not something I know how to turn off, and I’m sorry about that. I don’t know how to deal with this situation, but please believe I am trying”.

He looked back at Charles, longing deep in his eyes.

“If you don’t want me to touch you I won’t, but I can’t help how I feel about you”. There was a finality in his words, like his feelings were inevitable, out of his control, unstoppable.

Erik regarded Charles quietly, letting the words sink in, waiting for a response. Charles felt cold, shivering in just a towel and suddenly far too vulnerable as Erik’s eyes bore into him. He didn’t know what to say; couldn’t know. Clearly Erik wanted something he wasn’t sure he could give- he wanted hope and reassurance, a sign that there was a chance that his feelings could be accepted by Charles, perhaps reciprocated.

All Charles wanted was to sleep.

Charles stared down at the ground, willing the moment to pass. He felt the metal bracelet on his wrist humming- responding to whatever tension Erik was projecting subconsciously, or perhaps as a result of a more deliberate use of power- Erik keeping a hold on him, even from across the room.

Charles looked back up at Erik through lowered eyelashes.

“I just… want to go to sleep”, Charles said at last, deciding to just be honest and hoping for the best.

In Erik’s eyes Charles saw a kind of… shattering. A manifestation of hopelessness. After a long silence, the vibration of the bracelet on Charles’ wrist stopped.

“Okay”.

That was all Charles needed. He turned quickly, heading upstairs as fast as he could without running, entering his bedroom and grabbing his pyjamas before dashing into the bathroom to get changed. When he came back outside he expected to find Erik waiting for him, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Charles climbed under the covers and pressed his face into the pillow, ignoring the wetness that had built up in the corner of his eyes. He lay there for a long time, just breathing, thinking, regretting. Eventually, he drifted into a long and restless sleep.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

Charles awoke sometime late in the morning, sleeping in far longer than he normally would but seemingly unable to pull himself from fitful dreams. He sat up in bed slowly, peering over the covers and expecting to find Erik watching him like the previous day, but to Charles’ surprise he was alone. A quick mental scan of the building confirmed that Erik hadn’t gone far though.

Following the smell of food cooking, Charles shuffled into the kitchen nervously. Erik was standing at the stove wearing jeans and a hooded top, and although he visibly tensed when Charles entered the room he didn’t say anything; didn’t even look at him. Charles skirted around the edge of the kitchen and took a seat at the counter, immediately burying himself in the newspaper that lay open. He read in silence for a few minutes, not really taking any of the words in, feeling strained and on-edge as he waited for Erik to speak, but equally dreading whatever Erik might choose to say.

He startled slightly when Erik turned abruptly and walked over to him, placing a plate of French toast down in front of Charles on the counter. Charles stared down at it for few seconds before looking up at Erik.

“My favourite…”, he murmured.

“I know”, Erik replied softly. “Happy birthday, Charles”.

The air was thick and heavy with the things Charles and Erik weren’t saying as they stared at each other. Neither of them seemed willing to move first, eyes locked together, bodies fixed in place and held fast by tension.

The sound of a phone ringing in the next room broke the spell, Erik turning away from Charles reluctantly and leaving the room to go answer it. When Erik returned Charles was busy tucking into the food in front of him, but he looked up expectantly as Erik re-entered the room.

“Your sister”, Erik explained, “She just rang to make sure everything was set for the party tonight, and that you still didn’t suspect a thing”. Erik raised his eyebrow knowingly.

“I guess Hank was true to his word and kept quiet then”, Charles responded, feeling relieved.

“Yes, but I don’t think that’s going to make this evening any easier to handle”, Erik countered. “You need to be careful, one slip-up and this ruse could come crashing down around us”.

“Well, what do you suggest I do?”, Charles asked.

Erik paused. “Just… act normal, around me I mean. Don’t be so distant. Raven has seen us together for years and she’s going to be expecting us to be… comfortable together. You know- happy”.

Charles bit his lip and frowned slightly, looking down at the counter.

“Charles…” Erik sighed, “I just mean, try to act like everything’s fine- like you didn’t go missing for ten days. And… please don’t shy away from me, if you can help it”. He leaned over the counter as Charles looked up to meet his eyes. “And relax. I’m not suggesting you spend the evening sitting in my lap or anything”.

Immediately Erik’s words conjured up a visual in Charles’ mind, and he resented the blush that crept across his cheeks. Mercifully, Erik didn’t mention it.

 

 

 

For the next several hours Charles tried his best to enjoy his birthday. It was certainly unlike any birthday he had ever experienced before-  the party later would be a familiar event, certainly, but spending the morning with- in essence- a complete stranger was very odd. Erik continued to be considerate though, allowing Charles time by himself to read or watch television, though always remaining in the same room as him. Eventually the arrangement began to make Charles feel like he was a prisoner in his own home, being watched by his own personal guard at all times.

“Do you know how to play chess?”, Charles asked as last from his position curled up in an armchair. Erik regarded him from across the room, looking over the edge of the book he was clearly not reading.

“Yes…”, Erik replied slowly. “You taught me”.

Of course. Was there any aspect of his life that wasn’t somehow entwined with Erik’s? Charles screwed up his face, his mind running away with questions as he once again thought about all of the memories he was missing.

“Would you like to play?”, Erik asked.

Charles nodded, standing up and taking a seat at the nearby table as Erik brought the chess set over. Interaction was stilted at first, with Charles staring hard at the chess pieces whilst Erik’s eyes focused only on him, but after a little while they both loosened up, and began to enjoy the game.

Later in the evening they headed outside, Erik explaining that Raven had instructed him to take Charles out for a couple of hours so that they could set up for the party. They walked down the street to a local coffee shop and sat for a while, Erik listening attentively to Charles as he talked about himself. It was awkward though- Charles didn’t know whether the stories he was telling were things that Erik had heard before; had lived before, and listening to Erik talk about himself wasn’t any easier when almost every story involved a version of Charles that didn’t exist anymore. Charles found himself feeling grateful when Erik said enough time had passed and they would be able to go home.

On the short walk back to the house Charles thought about how absurd it was- trying to have a surprise party for a psychic. What on earth was Raven thinking? But as they reached the steps and walked up to the front door Charles was perplexed to realise that he couldn’t sense anyone waiting inside.

“Erik, are you sure we’re here at the right time?”, Charles asked, looking puzzled.

“Yes. Why, what is it?”

“I can’t feel anyone”, Charles frowned.

Erik unlocked the door and wandered inside, Charles following close behind. The hallway was dark and quiet, but as they reached the living room doorway suddenly the house sprung into life- lights turning on and dozens of people shouting out “SURPRISEEEEE”. For the first time in a long time Charles really _was_ surprised- marvelling as people slowly began to come into focus in his head one by one.

Raven ran up to him, kissing him briefly on the cheek. She was wearing a golden dress that matched her blonde hair and glittered when she moved.

“Happy birthday, Charles!”, she exclaimed, grinning brightly.

“Thanks, sis”, Charles responded, before adding more quietly: “How did you do that? I couldn’t sense anyone was here”.

“Well it wouldn’t be much of surprise party if you knew we were waiting, would it silly?”, Raven laughed, her warm blue eyes twinkling. “It was my friend, Emma”, she explained, gesturing over to an impeccably-dressed blonde woman drinking wine in the kitchen.

“She’s a telepath too”, Raven whispered conspiratorially.

Charles felt a sudden thrill wash over him. _“Another telepath, how marvellous”,_ Charles thought excitedly, wondering if perhaps there was a chance she would be able to help with his little memory problem. But when he looked over at Emma and she flashed him a sly smile he felt an apprehension he couldn’t explain pang in his chest.

 

 

 

The party got off to an awkward start, for Charles at least. Raven was on top form of course- laughing and teasing Charles- telling stories about what he was like growing up, which made Charles cover his face with his hand as he tried to hide his smile. But even though his sister’s warm presence soothed Charles he couldn’t help but still feel uncomfortable, particularly as Erik never wandered far from his side- standing with his hand resting on Charles’ lower back. It wasn’t exactly a salacious embrace, but regardless- to Charles, Erik’s touch felt like fire.

Charles tried to do as Erik had instructed- to just act _normal_ , whatever that meant. He tried to think about past partners and how he had conducted himself around them, but it was near impossible to replicate behaviour that had come so naturally before, and he couldn’t help but jump when Erik leaned down to whisper in his ear- Raven looking questioningly at them when it happened.

When Hank proposed a toast Charles downed his entire drink, ignoring Erik’s uneasy glance.

“Time for presents!”, Raven trilled, grabbing Charles by the hand and pulling him to sit down on the sofa.

The guests gathered quickly around Charles, watching as he began to open the first of the gifts Raven thrust into his lap. As always, Raven’s sense of humour extended to her choice of presents, as amongst the traditional alcohol, chocolates, books, and socks were many reminders of just how old she thought Charles was.

“Really??”, Charles laughed, holding up slippers and a tube of denture cream. “I’m not that old- I’ve still got all my teeth, and I’m not even going bald”.

“You’ll always be ancient to me”, Raven grinned.

Charles squeezed Raven’s hand affectionately.

Once Charles had finished opening the gifts from Raven and his other guests he started to stand up, ready for another drink, but Raven stopped him.

“Wait a minute, you haven’t opened Erik’s presents yet have you?”, she asked, looking over at Erik questioningly. Erik’s eyes flashed over Charles briefly before turning to look at the ground.

“Well come on then”, Raven insisted, standing up and walking over to a nearby cupboard and reaching inside whilst Erik opened his mouth to protest.

Hank shot Charles a wary glance, both regarding each other in mild discomfort as Raven retrieved a large bag from the cupboard and dragged it across the floor towards Charles. She sat back down next to him and waited expectantly, poking him in the side when Charles hesitated.

Charles looked over at Erik uncertainly, before Erik gave him a small nod and Charles reached down to open the first of the presents.

Erik’s gifts broadcasted just how well he knew Charles. They were thoughtful, sometimes funny, but all spoke of a great affection and closeness that was so alien to Charles. He opened the presents quietly, thanking Erik for each one, but found himself short of words when some items made little sense to him.

“I got it from that little town where we holidayed in Cuba, remember?”, Erik offered helpfully as Charles rolled a monogrammed glass in his hands.

“Of course”, Charles lied, forcing a smile at Erik.

Eventually Charles finished opening the gifts, scrunching up the wrapping paper in his hands and beginning to stuff it back in the bag. His fingers grazed against something hidden in the crease at the bottom, Charles frowning as he withdrew a small white box.

He barely had time to look at the box before Erik stood abruptly and strode over to Charles, grabbing the box out of his hands and shoving it in his pocket. A pained expression covered Erik’s face and Charles could only look up at him in confusion, his mouth falling open in a question.

“Sorry…”, Erik murmured at last. “That shouldn’t have been in there”.

At that, Erik turned and walked briskly out of the room, ignoring the bewildered looks of several of the party guests.

“Who wants champagne?”, Hank interjected, brandishing a bottle as he attempted to dispel some of the awkwardness. Charles nodded weakly, lifting up his glass.

 

 

 

A short while later Erik still hadn’t returned. Charles sat back on the sofa, second glass of champagne in hand as he watched Raven and Hank from across the room. They were lightly entwined- Raven looking up to Hank as she laughed before kissing him briefly on the lips. Charles smiled as he thought about how compatible they were- he had sensed it from the second he had introduced Raven to Hank all those years ago.

His smile faded slightly as his thoughts turned once more back to Erik. He wondered what their first meeting had been like- were they compatible too? Had they clicked instantly, or was it more a case of opposites attract?

He could feel Erik’s mind, so he knew Erik couldn’t have gone far. His presence- or lack thereof- was like a storm cloud just brewing on the horizon, threatening rain.

Charles finished the rest of his drink abruptly, before standing up and heading towards Erik.

 

 

 

He found Erik in the garden outside sat alone on a bench, eyes fixed on the small white box he held in his hands. Charles shivered briefly in the cool night air, wrapping his arms tightly around himself and wishing he had worn something more substantial than a thin lilac jumper. Gravitating towards Erik, Charles hovered for a second before timidly taking a seat next to him on the bench.

Charles gazed down at the box Erik was rolling between his fingers, wanting to ask about it but feeling like he already knew the answer.

“I was going to propose to you”, Erik offered anyway, his voice taut with emotion as he continued to stare at his hands.

Charles felt desperately sad as he beheld the wretched look on Erik’s face, wanting to console him but not knowing what to say.

“I’m not really one for public displays, you know”, he continued, “But I’m aware of how much you like the attention, so I thought you’d want your friends and your sister there when it happened”.

He looked over at Charles finally. “I think you knew already. How could you not?”, he smiled thinly, “And I got the feeling that you were… happy”.

“We both were”, Erik murmured sadly, looking away again.

Charles heart ached with feeling; a vice-like sensation that made it hard to breathe. The alcohol clouding up his mind made him feel hazy and the chill of the air made him feel cold, whilst next to him Erik seemingly radiated heat. Charles couldn’t resist leaning closer than he normally would, enjoying the warmth of Erik and the scent of his aftershave and the hum of his mind. He leaned further, until eventually his head came to rest on Erik’s shoulder with his face turned into Erik’s neck.

Charles felt Erik tense under him, his breath catching short. He turned towards Charles ever so slightly, clearly worried about spooking him, but Charles just closed his eyes and remained where he was. They stayed like that for a few seconds that felt like longer, before Erik turned fully- Charles’ head slipping from his shoulder before Erik caught it in his hands.

Charles opened his eyes to find Erik peering down at him curiously, his fingers tracing along Charles’ jaw and upper neck. Charles felt serene and yielding in Erik’s grasp, allowing Erik to hold him as he watched Erik’s eyes search his own before they involuntarily flicked down to Charles’ flushed lips.

Charles knew what that meant, and it was a complication he wasn’t ready for yet.

“Come back inside”, Charles said softly, pulling gently out of Erik’s embrace but reaching to lightly grip Erik’s wrist, fingers tracing his skin in a circle. Erik regarded him, considering, before responding with a nod.

 

 

 

The rest of the party went somewhat more smoothly, though Charles had acquired an enhanced shyness whenever Erik came close that caused him to avoid his gaze and reach for more drinks. By the time the evening had wound down and the last guests were leaving, Charles was considerably inebriated.

“Call me tomorrow”, Raven instructed, kissing Charles on the cheek as she left.

“I will”, Charles promised, waving as Raven and Hank walked out the front door and down the steps, Raven shooting him a curious look as she went.

Charles closed the door firmly, turning around to find Erik waiting for him, of course.

“Well, that was significantly less horrible than expected”, Erik said dryly, watching Charles with his arms folded.

“You think?”, Charles responded, stepping forward. “You weren’t in the room when Hank and Raven started singing ‘I Got You Babe’ to each other”, Charles added, widening his eyes in mock horror.

Erik laughed, unfolding his arms and stepping towards Charles.

“Are you ready for bed?”, he asked, tilting his head as he looked at Charles. Charles nodded, moving towards the stairs but stumbling immediately when he reached the first one. Erik reached his arms out to steady him, and kept them in place as he guided Charles up the stairs and towards the bedroom.

Charles stumbled again as they entered the bedroom, tripping over his own feet before Erik caught him once more.

“Careful, Charles”, Erik murmured, holding him under the arms. “I would offer to carry you the rest of the way but my back’s really aching from sleeping on that sofa”.

Alcohol made Charles bolder than he’d like. “You can sleep with me if you want”. His eyes widened in realisation of what he’d said. “In the bed I mean, next to me”.

Erik raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise, staring hard into Charles’ eyes whilst still holding Charles up. He loosened his hold on Charles, allowing Charles to step away and towards the bed- beginning to shed his clothes as he went. Erik paused, watching him, before following and removing his clothes also.

Charles slid beneath the sheets wearing just his underwear as Erik did the same, lying flat on his back and staring up at the ceiling whilst Erik lay on his side facing Charles. Immediately though Charles was regretting his actions, wondering why the fuck he invited Erik into the bed, why the fuck he had crawled in wearing just his boxer shorts rather than putting his pyjamas on, why the fuck Erik’s body gave out so much fucking heat all the time...

“Charles, you need to calm down”, Erik chuckled as Charles continued to stare at the ceiling, breathing frantically. “You know… I could do something to help you relax, if you’d like”.

Charles eyes darted wildly to Erik, which only made Erik laugh again.

“I’m not suggesting anything… _kinky_ ”, Erik continued, raising an eyebrow suggestively. “I’ve been told I give a great massage”.

“Really, by who?”

“You”.

_“Of fucking course”_ , Charles thought.

Charles was feeling dazed and tipsy, which immeasurably contributed to his enhanced need for compliance.

“Okay”, he whispered.

Erik sat up immediately, tossing the blankets off of both of them as Charles visibly tensed.

“How do you want me?”, Charles asked.

Erik pursed his lips slightly and Charles caught the indecent thought that ran though his mind, immediately blushing as he rolled over onto his front. Getting drunk was a bad idea all around, it seemed, as not only was Charles having trouble controlling what he said, he found his telepathy reaching out beyond his control as well.

Charles snaked his hands underneath the pillow and pressed his face down into it as Erik climbed over him, the closeness of his body making Charles feel hot and skittish.

“I’m going to touch you now”, Erik murmured, before carefully reaching down and beginning to trace his fingers over Charles’ upper back.

_“Ohmygod, he really is good”_ , Charles thought as Erik worked him over with gentle but firm caresses. He kept his head pressed down tightly as he tried to relax- Erik’s touch certainly pulling tension from his body, but his mind remaining unrelenting as it whirled uncontrollably. The silence in the room was palpable, and something that Charles could not abide.

“What did you think of me when we first met?”, Charles asked as last.

There was a long pause, then Erik responded: “I thought you were a pompous ass”.

“What??”, Charles squeaked, turning his head swiftly to the side as he tried to look back at Erik, feeling Erik’s growing laughter vibrate through him.

“I’m sorry Charles, but it’s true”, he chuckled softly, continuing the massage. “I was in the area for work, and I’d gone to the local bar for a quiet drink. Quiet being the operative word… You were there with your sister, celebrating and drinking some ridiculous long drink and making a hell of a noise”.

Charles remembered that night, remembered drinking with Raven, remembered talking to friends, and then… nothing. There was a weird fuzziness at the end of the evening that he couldn’t bring into focus. _“Erik…”_ , he realised.

“When you finished your drink you started talking to some girl at the bar”, Erik continued. “You were going on about mutations- something to do with the colour of her eyes- spouting off a bunch of complicated words as you tried to impress her. It seemed to be working, but when she excused herself to go to the bathroom I approached you, and asked you if you wanted to see a real mutation…”

Erik leaned closer as he started to press his thumbs firmly into Charles’ lower back, eliciting a small moan from Charles that he tried to muffle.

“I will never forget the look on your face when I showed you my power”, Erik murmured. “The bartender placed your change down and I moved a coin across the bar. Nothing fancy, just a simple display, but your eyes grew wide as you stared at me in open amazement, before grinning widely in that gorgeous way that you do…”

“Naturally, I liked you from the start”, Erik finished simply.

Charles chewed on his lower lip, considering. Everything Erik was describing sounded so much like him, so much like something he would do, and yet he couldn’t place it. Instantly, he realised why.

“Could you tell I liked men straight away?”, Charles asked quietly.

Erik paused, leaning over Charles. He placed one hand at the back of Charles’ neck, tracing his fingers through Charles’ hair gently.

“I couldn’t tell that you liked men, I could tell you liked me”, Erik responded softly.

“How?”, Charles dared to ask, breathless.

“There’s this… look you give”, Erik replied carefully. “You tilt your head down but your eyes up so they’re impossibly large; impossibly blue. It’s probably the best example I’ve ever seen of fuck-me eyes”.

Charles blushed furiously, turning his head down into the pillow once more. _“Fuck-me eyes…”_ , he thought dreamily. Charles knew that look- he had seen it reflected back at him in the minds of a dozen previous lovers. To think that he had looked like that at Erik…

Charles squirmed slightly where he lay as he felt his cock stiffen underneath him, suddenly grateful for the fact that he was lying face down and Erik’s couldn’t see his expression.

“Charles… are you okay?”, Erik asked softly, still stroking the nape of Charles’ neck. He leaned to the side, trying to look at Charles’ face, before eventually he moved off of Charles completely and lay next to him on the bed, his arm draped across Charles’ back and his fingers still entwined in Charles’ hair.

It was probably a full minute before Charles felt composed enough to move, turning his head back to the side eventually to look at Erik.

“What happened after that?”, he asked quietly.

Erik smiled. “Nothing much, unfortunately... We talked for a while about my mutation, though you never told me about yours. At the end of the night I asked if I could see you again, and you agreed, though when we met for coffee the next day it was clear you had wilfully misunderstood me”.

“What do you mean?”, Charles murmured, frowning slightly.

“I wanted to date you, but you wanted to study me”, Erik continued, tucking a strand of hair behind Charles’ ear. “I think you’d decided we were meeting so that you could conduct research for your thesis- you told me as much. And no matter how much I blatantly flirted with you, you just didn’t seem catch on”.

Erik looked down, grinning wickedly. “Eventually I just had to lean over and kiss you, if only to get you to stop talking”.

Charles felt himself flush again as he thought about what that must have been like- to be kissed by Erik then, what it would be like to be kissed by Erik now… His gaze dropped down to Erik’s lips, lost for a moment.

Erik shifted ever so slightly closer to Charles, bringing Charles back to reality.

“When did you find out about my mutation?”, Charles asked, looking back to Erik’s eyes again.

“Not for a while”, Erik responded. “I suspected that you had… _talent_ , but you weren’t forthcoming with what that was and I wasn’t about to pressure you. When it happened… I think it was an accident”.

“When did it happen?”

“The first time we made love”, Erik replied wistfully. Charles closed his eyes.

“I don’t think you meant to”, Erik said softly, caressing Charles’ cheek. “But I was inside you and then suddenly you were inside me too. I’d never felt anything like it; never felt so close to another person before. In that second I knew I was addicted to you, and that I would never be able to let you go”.

Charles felt like crying, a surge of emotion rocking though him as he listened to Erik talk with his eyes tightly shut. He wanted to weep for what he’d lost- the years lived, loved, and forgotten; a life he could never fully understand.

“Charles… look at me”, Erik pleaded, sounding strained.

Charles opened his eyes slowly, tears brimming at the surface, and discovered Erik in a similar state. They beheld each other for a long duration, Erik’s fingers still lightly tracing Charles’ face, before Erik leaned towards Charles, closer… closer… reaching for Charles’ lips until…

Charles cheated, reaching inside Erik’s mind and pushing him into a state of sleep before Erik knew what was happening. He tried to ignore the guilt that panged in his chest as he watched Erik slump into the pillow, hoping that if Erik truly loved him then, somehow, he would understand.

Leaning over Erik, Charles pressed his lips briefly against Erik’s temple in an act of contrition, before turning over and attempting to go to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

 

 

Dreaming was an intense experience for a psychic. Charles had found his dreams had become more vivid and all-consuming ever since his powers had kicked in- like his mind was reaching out at night, searching for other nearby presences to latch onto. This was never more evident than when he was sleeping next to another person.

Charles and Erik had subconsciously moved together in the night- Charles resting on his stomach whilst Erik lay with his arm wrapped around him and his face pressed lightly into Charles hair. Charles teetered on the edge of consciousness, breathing Erik in and dreaming of sunlight, the ocean, green eyes, strong hands… But suddenly there was another presence- harsh and unwelcome, and Charles’ dreams turned to darkness, a cold room, blunt instruments, a cruel smile…

Charles awoke with a start, jolting from unconsciousness as he heard an alarm going off in his head, before realising it was the sound of a phone ringing down the hall. He quickly withdrew from bed and scampered off in the direction of the phone, leaving Erik sleeping soundly.

When he returned Erik was just rising, wiping the sleep from his eyes as he sat up in bed. His eyes locked on Charles who stood in the doorway nervously, wrapping his arms around himself.

“You could have just said no”, Erik said despondently.

Charles opened his mouth to protest, preparing to play dumb, but he stopped abruptly. Clearly Erik wasn’t stupid, and Charles wondered if he’d ever used this particular trick before.

“I’m sorry”, Charles said sincerely.

“Who was on the phone?”, Erik enquired.

“Raven. She wants me to meet her for breakfast”.

“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea”, Erik frowned.

“Why not?”

“Um, did you forget your forgetting? We still don’t know what happened, or who did this to you. I don’t want you out of my sight”.

Charles sighed, exasperated. “Erik, you can’t keep me locked up in here forever. I need to get on with my life. And besides, I have classes to teach at eleven- I have to go to work”.

Erik rose from the bed, walking over to Charles in long strides.

“No”, he said defiantly, staring fiercely down at Charles.

“I think you’re forgetting who has the control here, Erik”, Charles sneered, waggling his fingers at his temple.

Fury burned in Erik’s eyes, and the metal bracelet on Charles’ wrist began to reverberate.

“You don’t know what I’m capable of, Charles”, Erik uttered through gritted teeth. “You don’t know what I’d do to keep you safe”.

“If you want to keep me at all you’ll let me leave”, Charles responded levelly, meeting Erik’s eyes with an equally impassive glare.

Finally, Erik relented, scowling and stalking away from Charles in the direction of the bathroom. The door slammed shut and Charles heard the sound of the shower turning on, whilst the tremors running through the bracelet on his wrist began to slow down and then stop.

Charles sighed deeply, feeling remorseful but not seeing another option. He was right, he _did_ need to get on with his life, whatever that may mean.

 

Later on, Erik came downstairs just as Charles was putting on his jacket in the hallway. Erik was damp from his shower, wearing just pyjama bottoms and a thin white t-shirt. They regarded each other tentatively for a short while, before Erik turned away and headed towards the kitchen.

“Erik, wait”, Charles called out.

Erik stopped but didn’t turn fully, only tilting his head slightly in Charles’ direction. Charles approached slowly, fearful of upsetting Erik again, arguing with himself in his head over what to say. He came to a stop stood just behind Erik, watching his shoulders rise and fall with each breath.

Charles opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself. He reached a hand to touch Erik, but stopped himself. He thought about probing into Erik’s mind, but stopped himself. What he didn’t stop himself from doing was stepping forward, wrapping his arms around Erik’s waist, and burying his face in-between Erik’s shoulder blades.

Erik tensed in response to Charles’ touch, taking in a sharp intake of breath as Charles wound his arms around him tightly, his hands resting against Erik’s stomach.

“Charles…?”, Erik murmured.

“I’ll be okay, don’t worry”, Charles promised, letting go of Erik and stepping away. He turned hurriedly and walked outside before Erik could respond.

 

 

 

Raven was waiting for him when Charles arrived at the café, wearing sunglasses and sipping on tea. She smiled evenly as he approached, pushing out a chair for him with her foot.

“Darling sister, how are you?”, Charles exclaimed, sitting down at the table and gratefully receiving the cup Raven offered him.

“I’m well… how are you?”, Raven replied coolly, pushing her sunglasses up her face as she regarded him.

“Fine, thanks- slightly worst for weather after last night’s drinking”, Charles confided with a wan smile.

“Drinking, huh? Is that all it was?”, Raven asked.

Charles frowned, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, is everything okay with you and Erik?”

Oh. So apparently he wasn’t as good of an actor as he had hoped. Charles paused for a long while, debating whether to continue with the ruse or confess all.

One look into Raven’s worried blue eyes and his mind was made up.

 

Several minutes and half a cup of tea later Charles had finished telling Raven everything. Well, almost everything- Charles decided to spare Hank his wife’s wrath by not revealing that he already knew what was going on.

Raven paused for a long while after Charles had finished talking before swiftly leaning over and punching him in the arm.

“Oww!”, Charles yelped, rubbing the sore spot where Raven had jabbed him. “What the hell was that for?”

“You lied to me!”, Raven exclaimed heatedly. “I was so worried about you! I couldn’t sleep last night because I thought you and Erik were having problems”.

Charles expression softened. “I’m sorry, Raven. I thought I was protecting you”.

“You can’t protect me, Charles. We’re supposed to look out for each other, all of us. And as for Erik not even telling me you were missing…”. Raven’s expression grew fierce.

“Raven… what do you think of him?”, Charles asked softly.

Raven sat back in her chair, considering. “I think he’s an uncompromising dick”, she replied at last, whilst Charles raised his eyebrows.

She sighed before continuing “…But he loves you, and he genuinely wants what’s best for you, even if his view of what’s best for you is often skewed around his own desires”.

Charles bit his lip thoughtfully.

“What about you, Charles? I guess in your mind you’ve only known Erik for a few days, what do you think of him?”, Raven asked.

“I don’t know…”, Charles replied honestly. “He tells me things about us- the me he knew, and it sounds real- it sounds like what I would say or do or feel. But I just can’t imagine it… Do you really think… I could like him?”

Raven gave him a patronising look. “Charles, you don’t like, you love”.

It was true, Charles knew it. He didn’t do anything by half-measures, and he’d known from the second that Erik had said they shared a bed that, if it was true, then Charles had fallen hard.

The only question was; did it seem possible it could happen for a second time?

 

 

 

After finishing breakfast, Raven walked Charles the short distance to the university, chattering animatedly about Charles’ memory loss- sharing theories about what could have happened, and why. Charles probed Raven for information about Erik- where he was from, what he did, but Raven didn’t have any real answers- simply telling Charles that Erik had always been very private; that the only person who truly knew him was Charles, and whatever Charles had known before he lost his memories he hadn’t shared with her.

“Be careful, okay?”, Raven said warningly, squeezing Charles warmly on the arm.

“I will”, Charles promised, kissing Raven briefly on the cheek before heading inside.

For the next several hours Charles busied himself with work- enjoying being back in the classroom again, shaping the minds of his young students. He’d always known he wanted to be a teacher; wanted to help people, and he suspected in part that it was due to the emotional distance and early death of his parents. Feeling so alone when he was growing up- with the exception of Raven- as well as the emergence of his mutant powers had caused Charles to feel things more deeply; to care profoundly.

After Charles was finished teaching he retired to his office, sitting down behind his desk and attempting to catch up on the paperwork that had been neglected during his absence. He thought about Erik while he worked, hoping he was okay, that he wasn’t worrying too much. He could call him, of course, he should probably call him… But he suspected that Erik would just ask him to come home, and he didn’t think he had the resolve to say no.

Charles continued grading papers for a long while, until a knock at the door distracted him.

“Come in”, Charles replied, frowning slightly in his confusion as he realised who was on the other side of the door.

Emma Frost drifted into the room, looking polished and composed in a brilliant white pantsuit. She regarded Charles coolly, an indifferent smile playing across her face.

“Hi… Emma, is it?”, Charles said cautiously. “What brings you here?”

“Well, I was in the area and I thought I’d pop in and thank you for inviting me to your party last night”.

“ _I_ invited you...?”, Charles frowned.

“Mm-hmm”, she nodded. “Don’t you remember?”

A smirk passed over her face. “Oh, I guess you don’t”.

Charles was beginning to feel uneasy- an apprehensive shiver passing over him as he observed Emma’s unfeeling blue eyes.

“Who _are_ you…?”, Charles asked finally, trying to keep his voice from wavering. “What do you want?”

“Oh sugar, I’m not the one you should be worrying about”.

Charles’ eyes snapped to the doorway as another figure entered, wearing the same unkind expression as Emma. The man looked to be in his fifties, with a thin drawn mouth and uncaring pale blue eyes, and he regarded Charles callously as he closed the door behind him.

Charles sat up in his chair, tensing immediately and reaching his mind forward for answers, but before he could read anything from either intruder Emma’s skin and clothing shifted into a diamond-like state, and everything went blank.

“Professor…”, the man chided, shaking his head. “You should know better than to try any of your mental tricks around Emma”. He looked at Emma fondly before turning back to Charles, still wearing the imitation of a smile.

“Who the hell are you?”, Charles demanded, feeling lost and exposed without the use of his telepathy.

“Sebastian Shaw”, the man answered confidently, bending in a mock bow. “We’ve met before, naturally, but thanks to some help from my glamorous assistant here I suspect you don’t remember that”.

 _“So that’s what happened…”_ Charles thought. Sometime a fortnight ago Charles must have come across Emma and this Shaw character, and they had tampered with his memories. The knowledge didn’t make Charles feel any better, in fact knowing who his tormentor was- looking into his cruel eyes- only made Charles feel sick; bile rising up in his throat.

“I’m sure you have a million questions for me, Charles”, Shaw continued. “And believe me, I’m looking forward to spending some more _quality_ _time_ with you…” His gaze flicked over Charles lecherously. “But sadly I suspect our time together today is limited”.

Shaw looked over to Emma and she nodded. “He’s coming”, she replied.

“Shame…”, Shaw murmured, moving around the desk towards Charles and sliding his fingers across Charles’ shoulder. Charles recoiled in horror as Shaw’s fingers brushed against the side of his neck, whirling around to face him.

“Get the fuck away from me!”, Charles demanded angrily, defiance burning hot in his blue eyes. Shaw only laughed in response, looking down at Charles like he was nothing more than a small child throwing a temper tantrum.

Charles’ eyes darted frantically over to Emma as Shaw began to lean over him, his head hovering just above Charles’ shoulder.

“Why are you doing this- I thought you were my sister’s friend?”, Charles challenged.

“No… But I made her think I was, for as long as she was useful to me”, Emma responded, glittering in the dim room.

Charles stared at Emma forlornly as Shaw continued to leer over him, his breath hot on the side of Charles’ face.

Suddenly the door slammed open, Charles jumping as his eyes flew to the doorway and Erik walked in. Erik’s eyes darted as he took in everyone in the room, whilst Emma moved briskly from her position by the door to stand behind the desk next to Shaw. Surprise registered on Erik’s face, then confusion, worry, fear, and finally anger- clearer than anything, furious and sharp as his eyes locked on Shaw. There was a horrible groaning sound, and then all of the metal in the room began to shake.

“Erik, my dear boy!”, Shaw exclaimed cheerfully, standing behind Charles with both hands on the back of his chair. “How wonderful to see you again after all these years”.

Erik glared murderously at Shaw, his entire body taut with fury and rage.

“You’re not happy to see me?”, Shaw asked, feigning outrage. “You know, if anyone deserves to act like the wronged party in this situation, I think it’s me. Particularly after what you did…”, he tutted at Erik disapprovingly.

Erik took a step towards them but stopped suddenly when Shaw placed a hand on Charles’ shoulder, tracing his skin as Charles squirmed uncomfortably.

“Careful Erik”, Shaw muttered warningly. “I wouldn’t want to have to hurt your pretty little professor here”.

“Get the fuck away from him”, Erik demanded, gritting his teeth.

Shaw stopped his fingers brushing against Charles’ shoulder for a second, regarding Erik coolly, before pressing down against Charles’ collarbone.

Pain shot through Charles as he felt intense pressure- far greater than Charles could have imagined given that Shaw was only lightly touching him. A strangled yelp left his lips uncontrollably as he writhed in his seat, trying to move away from Shaw’s grasp but unable to escape. Erik watched helplessly with a wretched expression covering his face, clenching his fists tightly but not moving.

“Shaw… Stop, _please_ …”, Erik spat out eventually, desperation in his eyes.

Shaw grinned smugly. “Well, seen as you asked so nicely”, he replied, removing his hand. Charles whimpered and slumped forward on the desk, his collarbone throbbing painfully.

“What do you want from us?”, Erik demanded, glowering at Shaw.

Shaw laughed. “Well, what kind of villain would I be if I just told you my masterplan?”, he chuckled unkindly. “Of course, assuming I have one. Maybe I just like wanton destruction. Maybe I just want to take away everything that you love most for the pure fun of it…”, Shaw continued, looking down at Charles pointedly.

“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see”, he finished finally. Shaw clicked his fingers and Emma stepped close to him, placing her hand on his arm. Charles didn’t see what happened next, all he knew was there was a sudden whooshing sound and then Shaw and Emma were gone, leaving only a faint trail of red smoke in their wake.

Erik ran to Charles immediately, the sound of metal creaking coming to an end as he crashed down on the ground next to Charles’ chair, looking up at him frantically. He gripped Charles gently on the upper arms, eyes searching his face desperately as his chest heaved with laboured breath. Charles winced as Erik moved him, the pain in his clavicle making his vision blurry and his heart race.

“Come on, we need to get out of here”, Erik insisted.

Charles nodded, allowing Erik to pull him to his feet and leaning against him with his uninjured side as Erik steered them out of the door.

 

 

 

A short while later Charles lay in the back of Erik’s car, staring up at the ceiling as Erik drove erratically, swerving down the streets as he headed for home. The car squealed to the curb before Erik turned off the ignition and jumped out, opening the rear door and reaching for Charles as he helped him out of the car and up the steps to the house.

Once inside, Erik pulled Charles in the direction of the living room and laid him down gently on the sofa.

Erik’s hands lingered on Charles’ neck as he perched on the edge of the sofa, before reaching down to tug at the bottom of Charles’ jumper.

“Come on, take this off”, he insisted, “I want to take a look at you”.

Charles smiled weakly. “You’re not a doctor, Erik”.

“Please, Charles”, Erik urged, looking at Charles desperately.

Charles sighed and reached down to pull off his jumper, wincing immediately when pain shot through his shoulder. With Erik’s help he removed the garment, laying back afterwards as Erik unbuttoned his shirt far lower than necessary. When Erik was satisfied he leaned over Charles and tentatively traced his fingers over Charles’ collarbone. Already the area was beginning to bruise, but Charles suspected it wasn’t completely broken- maybe a hairline fracture at the most. He’d broken a bone once before when he was a child- he’d been showing off, of course, and he’d slipped and fell. The pain had been so intense then that he’d passed out. Thankfully, this injury paled in comparison.

“How does it look?”, Charles asked, looking at Erik carefully.

“Hideous”, Erik responded, ghosting his fingers gently over the bruise before looking soulfully into Charles’ eyes. “Charles, I’m so sorry”, he continued softly.

Charles sighed gravely, before reaching a hand up to grip Erik on the arm.

“Erik, I think it’s time you told me what the hell is going on…”


	5. Chapter 5

 

 

Charles had never been very good at being patient. It was probably because his mind moved so quickly- he expected other people to respond just as rapidly. His impatience had only become more insatiable when his telepathy kicked in- Charles’ head was suddenly filled with dozens of voices, and suddenly he knew the answer before he’d even asked the question; people’s thoughts bleeding into his head all the time.

Of course, his power wasn’t without complications. For the longest time Charles had teetered on the edge of madness, unable to shut off his telepathy, unable to keep the voices out. But, in time, he had learned to control it, and now he tried not to delve into other people’s minds unless it was entirely necessary; practicing restraint, giving others the freedom to tell him only what they wanted him to know.

Erik was testing Charles’ patience.

Charles lay back on the sofa with his knees bent, whilst Erik sat at the other end near his feet, staring at the ground. It had been several minutes since either of them had last spoken, Erik clearly brooding over something whilst Charles waited for him to talk, watching his face in anticipation.

Eventually, Charles couldn’t take it anymore. He reached into Erik’s mind briefly and prodded him- the mental equivalent of flicking him on the ear. Erik flinched and looked at Charles in mild annoyance, before his expression softened.

“I’m sorry”, Erik said at last. “For everything. This is all my fault, if you had never met me…” Erik trailed off, looking down at his feet again.

“Erik, don’t make me poke you again”, Charles murmured, resting his foot lightly on Erik’s thigh.

Erik sighed, then eventually began to speak. “Before I met you, I lived in Germany- it’s where I was born”, Erik continued, looking back at Charles at last.

“When I was seventeen I was presented with an opportunity. Mutant abilities were just beginning to become public knowledge, and governments in every nation were looking to enlist mutants to their cause. I’m not sure how they knew about me, but one day they were there- on my doorstep, asking me to come with them. I hesitated, but I had no one else- my parents were killed when I was young- so I went with them”.

Charles raised his eyebrows expectantly.

“I stayed with them for years- training at first, developing my abilities, before eventually working for them- travelling all over the world recruiting other mutants. Each person I enlisted went to a sort of training camp, where they would learn to hone their skills”.

Erik paused, looking at Charles painfully. “I had no reason to suspect anything was wrong with the camps. The one I had stayed in had been wonderful- they had nurtured me, protected me, cared for me… But not every camp was alike”.

Charles leaned forward, his breath hitching when the pain of his damaged collarbone surged through him. Erik reached out to support him, helping Charles into a sitting position so that they sat turned towards each other, legs lightly touching.

“Please, go on…”, Charles urged, running his fingers over the palm of Erik’s hand as it rested in his lap.

Erik watched Charles’ fingers tracing his palm for a short moment, before continuing.

“There was this camp- ‘White Rose’ they called it. I had dropped dozens of kids off there, never venturing any further than the metal gates outside, because the guards never allowed it. I didn’t think anything of it of first- it wasn’t the only camp I had never entered, but one day I was dropping off my latest recruit- Alex- when I heard a noise coming from inside”.

Erik grimmaced. “I knew who it was instantly. Sean. I had brought him to the camp a few weeks earlier. He had the ability to create high-powered sonic waves with his voice, but the noises he was making that day… I’d never heard anything like it before. He was screaming violently, the sound of his voice carrying clear across the camp”.

Erik paused, tremors running through his body as he closed his eyes. Charles continued to caress Erik’s hand, coaxing him to continue.

“I confronted the guards”, Erik resumed, opening his eyes but still not looking at Charles. “I demanded to be let inside and, when they refused, I tore down the gates- knocking the guards to the ground”.

“I told Alex to stay outside but he came anyway, and together we rushed through the camp in the direction of Sean’s screams, taking out guards as we went with whatever metal I could find or with Alex’s plasma blasts. Eventually, we reached the entrance to an underground bunker at the rear of the camp, and Sean’s screams cut dead. We forced our way inside… and I saw what was really going on at White Rose”.

Charles leaned closer, peering at Erik’s face, waiting for him to proceed. When it became clear that he wasn’t going to, Charles brought a hand to his temple.

“Would you mind if I…?”, Charles asked, gesturing.

Erik looked over at him forlornly, before shaking his head once.

Charles stepped inside Erik’s mind.

The first thing that hit him was a wave of emotion- Erik’s feelings hidden just under the surface. Charles felt his pain, his loss, his rage, his despair, and it made him want to weep. Then he saw what had caused Erik to feel this way, and he really did start to cry.

In the bunker there were mutants everywhere- some whole, others not so fortunate. Pieces scattered the laboratory-like room; the clinical smell of chemicals mixed with blood filling the air. There were scorched wings pinned to a wall, green scales in a jar on a table, long metal claws stacked neatly in a container… and in the midst of it all: Shaw.

He was regarding Erik and Alex with mild irritation, like they had just interrupted his birthday party. Charles could feel Erik’s hatred in that moment, burning hot through his mind and boiling over when he caught sight of Sean- lying barely clothed on a nearby table, a scalpel embedded in his throat.

Alex struck first, sending jolts of energy whirling at Shaw, but Shaw remained impassive- gathering up the blasts with his hands and compressing the energy into himself whilst Alex and Erik gaped, open-mouthed. Charles watched as Alex rushed forward, Shaw stepping to meet him and catching Alex by the throat when they reached each other. He heard Erik shout, felt his agony as he watched Shaw crush Alex’s skull whilst barely straining a muscle. Charles felt Erik’s hopelessness- realising he was about to die but fighting to the last; firing metal at Shaw in vain as he advanced towards him.

Shaw stopped when he reached Erik, staring at him curiously whilst Erik defiantly met his eyes, his breathing ragged. Charles heard Shaw compliment Erik on his powers, telling Erik that he could really use a guy like him in his organisation, that it was a shame he and Erik had met under such unfortunate circumstances. Then, there was a commotion at the door and guards ran in- Shaw stepping away from Erik and smiling smugly, before a man with deep red skin appeared and disappeared again, taking Shaw with him.

Charles reeled out of Erik’s head, gasping for air and sobbing, overcome with second-hand emotion. Erik was calmer- regarding him sadly as Charles wiped at his face, brushing away tears.

“I killed a lot of people that day”, Erik declared, watching Charles carefully. “I tore that camp to the ground and buried it. Some mutants were saved, but so many were already lost, and it was all my fault”.

“No”, Charles exclaimed heatedly, reaching to grasp Erik’s hand. “It wasn’t your fault- you didn’t know”.

“I took them there, Charles”, Erik lamented, his voice breaking with emotion. “I delivered them to that madman”.

“You didn’t know”, Charles whispered, caressing Erik’s hand with his own and looking at him desperately. But somehow he knew that, no matter what reassurances he offered, Erik would always blame himself.

“What happened afterwards?”, Charles asked eventually.

“Well… after the camp was shut down I went into hiding. There were too many dead bodies, too many people asking questions. The government did what it could to cover things up, but I knew that they would want to find me, and I feared that Shaw would too. So, for the next several years I constantly moved around. I still sought out mutants, but only to warn them. Eventually many of them began to follow me, and we formed our own society, of sorts..."

“The Brotherhood of Mutants”, Erik explained, looking at Charles.

Charles frowned softly. “The Brotherhood… What is it that you plan to do?”, Charles asked carefully.

“Nothing… _yet_ ”, Erik replied pointedly. “But we’re ready”.

Charles felt uneasy, looking down at his hand entwined with Erik’s. Erik’s other hand gripped Charles’ chin lightly and tilted his head up so he could look into Charles’ eyes.

“Of course, this was all before I met you”, Erik said softly. “As I said before, I’d been moving around for years, but when I met you... everything changed. I… settled down. Became… domesticated”, Erik finished with a wry smile.

“Then, on the day you disappeared, I came home to find the front door unlocked and the house empty. At first nothing seemed out of place, you just simply weren’t there. But then I saw a white rose placed neatly on our bed, and I knew that my past had finally caught up with me”.

“So you knew, you knew from the beginning that it was Shaw, and you didn’t tell me? You didn’t warn me?”, Charles demanded irritably.

Erik at least had the decency to look guilty. “I was trying to protect you…”, he murmured.

“Well, you failed”, Charles replied harshly, regretting his words immediately when Erik looked at him with hurt in his eyes. “I’m… I’m sorry”, Charles offered. “I’m just scared and worried… and my shoulder really hurts”.

Erik leaned back from Charles and began to rise up off the sofa. “Come with me?”, he requested.   

 

 

 

A short while later and Charles was feeling slightly better. Erik had prescribed him a cup of tea and a few strong painkillers, before running him a bath in the en-suite bathroom upstairs. He guided Charles into the bathroom before exiting and closing the door behind him, leaving Charles to remove his clothes and sink down into the tub. Charles managed that okay, but when he reached to grab a bottle of shampoo he felt a bolt of pain shoot through his shoulder, and he cried out in distress involuntarily.

“Charles?”, Erik called out from the other side of the door, whilst Charles leaned over the side of the bathtub with his head resting on his arm, breathing weakly.

“Charles?”, Erik said again, louder this time. “Charles, I’m coming in”.

The door slid open and Erik hurried inside- his eyes going wide when he saw Charles doubled over in pain. He kneeled hastily on the floor beside the bath, reaching to caress Charles’ face and sliding his fingers into his hair.

“Charles, are you okay?”, Erik asked, rubbing his thumb against Charles’ jaw.

The explosion of pain passed, and Charles’ breathing began to return to normal.

“I’m fine”, Charles responded meekly. “I just wanted to wash my hair, but I can’t lift my arm without it hurting”.

Erik studied Charles for a while, his fingers still tracing his skin.“I could… do it for you”, Erik offered.

Charles tilted his head to look at Erik. The idea of Erik’s strong hands massaging his scalp made Charles feel equal parts delighted and nervous, though he didn’t know why when the real massage Erik had given him last night had been arguably more intimate than this would be. Then Charles remembered how that had ended, and knew that if he wasn’t careful he would soon be heading in exactly the same direction.

“Okay…”, Charles responded quietly.

Immediately Erik stood up and began to peel off his shirt, and Charles’ eyes grew wide as he realised he had wilfully misunderstood Erik’s intentions. Erik wasn’t just going to lean over the bath and wash Charles’ hair, he was going to get in the tub with him.

Charles flushed as Erik began to remove his trousers, intending to look away but somehow still managing to catch a glimpse of Erik’s long cock when he pulled down his underwear. Charles blushed deeper, bringing his knees up to his chest and resting his head down, trying to ignore the fluttering feeling in his stomach.

He felt Erik step into the bath behind him, sinking down in the water and sliding his long legs along either side of Charles’ body. Erik leaned forward, his chest pressing briefly against Charles’ back as he reached for the shampoo bottle. After squeezing some shampoo into the palm of his hand Erik began to lather up Charles’ hair, and finally Charles started to relax somewhat.

Like anything else tactile, Erik was a master. His fingers ran gracefully through Charles’ hair, massaging his scalp carefully; the sensation so good Charles found it hard to keep from moaning. Charles gradually unwound from his tensed up position, lifting his head up and laying his legs down flat in the tub, his hands resting in his lap.

When Erik was finished washing Charles’ hair he did the same with the conditioner, by which point Charles was so thoroughly serene that, when Erik finished with his hair altogether and began to work on his skin, Charles really did moan- lolling his head forward as Erik ran soap over his upper back.

Charles allowed Erik to slide his hands over his back, his chest, his neck, his arms- taking appropriate care with Charles’ collarbone area, but still resulting in a small cry of discomfort from Charles as he felt a twinge of pain.

“Sorry…”, Erik murmured. “Do you think we need to get Hank to take a look at you?”

“No”, Charles replied, shaking his head. “I don’t think it’s broken, and the painkillers are starting to help… as is the massage”.

Erik’s fingers continued to caress Charles’ collarbone gently, before Charles felt him lean forward- pressing his chest into Charles’ back as his lips touched Charles’ shoulder. Charles closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of Erik’s mouth on his skin, trying not to think too much about what it meant. He leaned back against Erik, trembling slightly when he felt his lower back press against Erik’s slowly hardening cock, whilst Erik snaked a hand around Charles’ waist and pulled him back against himself further, until the two of them rested fully against the rear of the bath- entwined and comfortable.

Neither of them moved for a long time, just breathing together, minds on the verge of touching. Erik’s body language broadcasted contentment as he sat with his arms wrapped tightly around Charles, his face resting against the crook of Charles’ neck as Charles leaned his head back on Erik’s shoulder.

Charles closed his eyes.

When he slowly cracked them open again Erik was nudging him in the chest lightly, arms still wrapped around him.

“Charles, I think we should get out”, he murmured. “The water is starting to get cold”.

Charles' eyes flew open suddenly, realising that maybe he’d been out of it a little longer than he’d thought. Erik was right- the water had turned tepid around them, and all of the bubbles had long since burst.

“Perhaps I did too good of a job of helping you to relax”, Erik chuckled as he loosened his hold on Charles, allowing Charles to scoot forward and begin to stand up in the bath.

Charles tried not to feel too bashful as he rose out of the water and climbed over the side of the tub, walking briskly across the room to wrap a towel around his waist. By the time he was covered, Erik had risen out of the bath too, coming forward with a towel which he placed over Charles’ head from behind. Erik rubbed the towel gently against Charles’ hair, before moving to dry his back and arms, and Charles turned around automatically when Erik gently pulled him- gazing down blissfully in his relaxed state until suddenly parts of Erik’s body came into focus and Charles realised he was still naked.

Charles' head abruptly snapped upwards, finding Erik’s intense eyes looking back at him as a flush began to rise in his cheeks. Their eyes remained locked as Erik dropped the towel before reaching up to cup Charles’ face with his hands. Erik’s fingers traced Charles’ jaw, his mouth slightly parted as he regarded Charles with quiet affection, looking into his eyes for a long time before his gaze flicked down to Charles’ lips.

Charles knew what that meant.

Erik leaned closer, and this time Charles didn’t stop him- their lips touching tentatively in a sweet kiss. Erik seemed to be holding back- his lips pressed lightly against Charles’ mouth but barely moving, his hands holding onto Charles’ face for dear life. Charles gently nudged Erik’s lips open with his own before sliding his tongue into Erik’s mouth, and finally Erik came to life- meeting Charles’ tongue with his and moving it in a manner that made Charles utter a low moan. Erik deepened the kiss, hands slipping back into Charles’ hair to pull him closer as Charles lifted his hands to rest on Erik’s waist, just above his hips.The room was warm with steam and hotter with desire as Charles and Erik kissed breathlessly, pressed tightly together- bare chests touching and the top of Erik’s hard cock resting against Charles’ stomach just above his towel.

Eventually they separated, needing air, but Erik kept his hold on Charles’ face as he looked down at him passionately, pupils blown wide.

“Are you… ready for bed?”, Erik asked, breathing hard.

Charles tilted his head down but his eyes up as he looked back at Erik, before nodding once. 

 

Erik took Charles by the hand, leading him into the bedroom and towards the bed, allowing Charles to sit down on the edge in his towel whist Erik stood over him. After a moment of consideration Erik placed his hands on the bed either side of Charles before leaning down to kiss him once more, mouths sliding together hungrily. Charles felt like things were just getting interesting when Erik pulled back- staring at Charles with deep longing.

“We don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with”, Erik murmured carefully, looking down at Charles’ lips.

In response, Charles embraced a surge of courage and lightly pushed Erik back- briskly removing his towel and throwing it over the side of the bed before scooting back to lie down with his back resting against the pillow. Erik’s eyebrows raised slightly in surprise as he watched Charles, his eyes slipping from Charles’ face and rolling languidly down his body. The intensity of Erik’s gaze made Charles’ heart race, feeling vulnerable and hot as Erik’s eyes honed in on his half-hard member.

When Erik moved forward to kneel on the bed Charles sat up to meet him- kissing Erik again and wrapping his good arm around Erik’s back. Erik responded instantly, allowing Charles to pull him forward and leaning down on his forearms over Charles as he kissed him deeply. Erik’s lips moved lower, tracing over Charles’ jaw, gently touching his collarbone, kissing down his chest and stomach…

It was certainly a different sensation than Charles had ever experienced- the feel of Erik’s stubble on his skin made Charles tingle all over, and when Erik’s mouth finally ghosted over Charles’ growing member he couldn’t help but groan softly. A much louder groan followed when Erik slowly began to lick up the length of his shaft, and by the time he opened his mouth and fully took Charles in, Charles was completely adrift in pleasure.

Erik worked Charles over rhythmically, clearly familiar with Charles’ body- knowing what he liked, how to touch him, what pressure to use. Erik paid attention to every little hitch and moan as he sucked Charles eagerly, before eventually sliding his arms under Charles’ thighs and pulling Charles closer- sending Charles’ cock deep down his throat. Their eyes met as Charles slid his fingers into Erik’s hair before beginning to thrust upwards into the wet heat of Erik’s mouth, eventually losing himself as he came hard down Erik’s throat in an earth-shattering release. Erik waited until Charles’ member was spent before letting it slide from his mouth, resting his head against Charles’ thigh as he tried to catch his breath whilst Charles stroked his hair tenderly.

When both men were somewhat recovered Erik crawled back up the bed, coming to lean over Charles and looking down at him fondly. Charles knew he had a goofy smile on his face but he couldn’t seem to stop, though he did eventually when Erik leaned down to kiss him once more. Charles could feel Erik’s firm cock brushing against him as they embraced, and he couldn’t resist reaching down to wrap his hand around it- Erik giving a small groan of pleasure when he did. Erik plainly unravelled as Charles’ hand slowly pumped his shaft, moaning into Charles’ mouth and occasionally bucking his hips involuntarily. Charles could feel himself getting aroused all over again, and he knew he wanted more.

“You can fuck me now, if you want…. I want you to”, Charles panted, releasing his hand from Erik’s cock as he gazed up at him.

Erik’s eyes briefly registered mild surprise, but he didn’t second-guess him. Pulling away to a kneeling position between Charles’ bended legs, Erik used his powers to open the bedside table and beckon over a small metal container of lube, coating his fingers in it and reaching down between Charles’ legs. Charles bit his lip as Erik’s fingers traced his entrance, trying to relax in spite of the unfamiliar sensations but still flinching slightly when Erik slid his first finger inside.

“Sorry”, Erik murmured, kissing him briefly on the knee. “Try to relax, baby”.

Charles let out a deep breath and moved one foot to rest against Erik’s chest, adjusting himself into a more comfortable position as Erik slid a second finger inside and began to open him up. By the time Erik was able to scissor his fingers comfortably Charles was beginning to get used to the feeling- enjoying Erik’s touch and feeling a jolt of pleasure as Erik’s fingers brushed against his prostate; his cock slowly stiffening again in response.

Once Erik was satisfied he removed his fingers completely; reaching down to grip his cock and angling it towards Charles’ entrance as he leaned over him. Charles felt Erik’s thick cockhead press gently against his rim and tried to ready himself, but nothing could fully prepare him for the feeling of Erik’s girth splitting him open. A slight yelp left Charles’ lips as Erik gradually pushed inside him inch by inch, Erik looking down at him in concern and leaning down to press a kiss to Charles’ forehead.

“Sorry, baby”, Erik murmured in strained tones, pressing kisses to the side of Charles’ face and trembling slightly with the effort of remaining still for a moment.

Charles slid his arm around Erik’s back, tracing his fingers against the nape of Erik’s neck. “I’m okay”, he whispered as he gazed into Erik’s eyes, moving to wrap his legs around Erik’s lower back. “Come on…”

That was all the encouragement Erik needed as he began to rock his hips forward in earnest, thrusting into Charles passionately but carefully as he tried not to exacerbate Charles’ collarbone injury, pressing his lips to Charles’ mouth, his neck, his shoulder…

Charles closed his eyes and embraced the feeling, surprised at how quickly his body responded to Erik before it occurred to him that- even if his mind had forgotten, clearly his body had not.

Still, Erik wanted more.

“Charles…”, Erik groaned, kissing the side of Charles’ neck and whispering in his ear. “Don’t hold back, come to me…”

Charles knew when he meant. He remembered Erik telling him about the first time they had slept together, when Charles had entered his mind for the first time. He knew that Erik wanted him to do the same thing again- to move into Erik’s mind, to allow them both to connect mentally as well as physically.

Charles opened his eyes to find Erik looking down at him soulfully as their bodies moved together, feeling Erik’s sense of love and passion and desire wash over him. It would be so easy to just step inside fully, to lose himself in Erik’s mind… But he couldn’t, not yet.

Charles shook his head lightly, looking away from Erik’s bright eyes and tilting his face sideways into the pillow. Erik paused for a second before leaning closer to Charles, sliding his arms beneath the pillow and pressing the full weight of his body into Charles as he resumed his rhythm. If he was upset with Charles’ decision he didn’t show it; fucking him in devotion, kissing him desperately. Charles began to feel himself come undone as the sensation of Erik thrusting into him and the friction of Erik’s stomach against his cock began to edge him towards orgasm once more; Charles reaching his hand down eventually to help move things along.

When Charles came for a second time it was longer and more drawn-out than before, the feeling of Erik’s cock inside him pushing him towards a new level of pleasure. Erik followed seconds after with his own orgasm, moaning hard into the crook of Charles’ neck. Erik slumped into him as he came, his weight enveloping Charles in a crushing embrace.

Charles made no attempt to free himself for a long while afterwards, feeling for the first time in days like he was home, at last.


	6. Chapter 6

 

 

It was around five in the morning when Charles got up- much earlier than he normally would, but by the time dawn broke the pain in his shoulder had started getting worse and he found he could no longer sleep. Slipping out of bed quietly, he ventured downstairs in search of painkillers.

An hour or so later Charles was sat on the counter in the kitchen, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper, whilst eating fistfuls of dry cereal out of a nearby box. He was interrupted, however, by the sound of footsteps descending rapidly down the stairs before Erik burst into the room.

Visibly panicked at first, Erik’s expression calmed as he clapped eyes on Charles who, in turn, regarded him in mild amusement- a handful of cereal halfway to his mouth.

“You’re… You’re still here”, Erik murmured.

“Where else would I be?”, Charles responded, raising his eyebrows as he resumed eating.

“I thought…”, Erik trailed off, looking embarrassed.

“It was my shoulder”, Charles explained, raising him arm and then immediately wincing at a twinge of discomfort. “The painkillers wore off, and I needed more. By the time I’d took them I was wide awake, so I came down here to—“, Charles broke off suddenly, staring to laugh whilst Erik looked on in bemusement.

“Erik...”, Charles got out in-between fits of laughter, “What are you wearing??”

Erik looked down at himself whilst Charles creased up on the counter, pulling down the small t-shirt that barely covered his midriff.

“It’s yours”, Erik glowered, “You gave it to me, and it happens to be very comfortable”.

Erik’s grumpiness only made Charles laugh more, but gradually Erik’s expression softened and the corners of his mouth turned up in the hint of a smile.

“You know, your former self didn’t find it quite so hilarious”, Erik said wryly. “In fact, I seem to remember you telling me that I looked cute”.

“Well who am I to argue with, well, me?”, Charles replied, still grinning but starting to calm down somewhat.

Erik approached him from across the kitchen, coming to stand in front of Charles with his hands resting gently on Charles’ knees.

“How are you feeling?”, Erik asked, looking at Charles’ shoulder pointedly.

Charles shrugged, then winced again. Immediately Erik moved closer, nudging his way in-between Charles’ legs and reaching for his t-shirt.

“Let me see”, Erik beckoned, tugging on the bottom of Charles’ shirt.

Charles complied, lifting his arms up gingerly so that Erik could pull his shirt off, gritting his teeth as pain sparked in his shoulder. Charles looked down to find an ugly bruise amassing across his collarbone area, deep and dark over his skin.

When Charles looked up at Erik he could plainly see the fury in his face. Erik’s eyes were steely- dark and resolute with anger as they stared at the marks on Charles’ skin. Charles found his expression somewhat frightening, as although he understood the hatred Erik clearly felt for Shaw, Erik’s eyes spoke of an anger that sought release through violence, the likes of which Charles could never condone.

Charles tentatively reached a hand to cup Erik’s face, and in a flash the rage was gone- the harsh lines of Erik’s face softening as he lifted his gaze to look at Charles.

“Erik… I’m _okay_ ”, Charles said softly, stressing the last word. “It’s just a bruise, it’ll soon fade”.

Erik shook his head. “What he did to you… your memories…”

“Given what I’ve seen Shaw can do I think I got off pretty lightly”, Charles said knowingly, stroking the side of Erik’s jaw with his thumb. “And frankly, I’m a little more concerned with what he might do next. You said… you said he knows where we live.”

Erik nodded. “Yes, I fear he does. So what do you suggest we do? Run away?”

Charles huffed out a noise of disgust. “Erik, I don’t run”.

Erik’s face dropped and instantly Charles felt terribly guilty, remembering what Erik had told him about going into hiding after what had happened at the camp.

“Erik, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean…”, Charles said softly as he gripped the top of Erik’s t-shirt and tried to pull Erik closer. His hands slid up to Erik’s jaw, tilting his face back up.

“I’m sorry, darling…”, Charles murmured, leaning forward to kiss Erik. To his surprise Erik stopped him, jolting back suddenly and holding Charles at arm’s length, looking at him with an expression Charles couldn’t quite place.

“What is it…?”, Charles asked at last, feeling confused and oddly vulnerable.

A tender smile gradually crept over Erik’s face as he looked at Charles, only serving to make Charles feel even more bewildered.

“You used to call me that, before…”, Erik explained at last, softening his hold on Charles and leaning forward to wrap his arms around Charles’ lower back. Charles smiled in return as Erik pulled him into an embrace, reaching to drape his arm over Erik’s back as their mouths met at last, sliding together readily.

Erik pulled Charles closer to him as they kissed, sliding his hands under Charles’ thighs and edging him forward on the counter until Charles balanced precariously on the edge. Charles could feel Erik’s lust rising, both through his mental energy and certain other physical parts…

“Wait, wait…”, Charles said eventually, pushing lightly against Erik’s chest. “We really don’t have time for this. There’s a homicidal maniac on the loose, remember? We need to be strategizing, not screwing”.

Erik was nuzzling the side of Charles’ neck and deliberately ignoring him, sucking sweet marks into Charles’ skin.

“Not even a quick screw?”, he murmured against Charles’ ear, rocking against Charles purposefully.

It took a great deal of resolve for Charles to resist, pushing Erik back lightly as he slid off of the counter. Erik wasn’t exactly helpful- remaining as close to the counter as he physically could, forcing Charles to essentially slither down the front of his body as he dropped to his feet. When Charles was upright at last he found himself trapped in-between the counter and Erik’s firm body, with Erik grinning down at him wickedly.

“Behave”, Charles instructed, poking Erik in the chest and trying not to smile. “And try to _calm down_ a little”, he added, looking down at Erik’s crotch pointedly. “Raven and Hank will be here soon”.

Erik’s frowned slightly in surprise. “You invited them over? Why?”

“Because I think we need all the help we can get, and as much as it pains me to involve my sister in this mess she’s already a part of it. It seems entirely likely that Emma corrupted her memories too, which means that she’s in very real danger”.

“And besides”, Charles added, “Raven may know more than she realises”. 

 

 

 

A short while later Charles and Erik were both dressed and sitting in the living room, waiting for Raven and Hank to arrive. It had taken a little longer than Charles had intended for the two of them to get ready, due entirely to Erik’s attempts to pull Charles into the shower with him in spite of the fact that Charles was fully clothed at the time... Erik managed to get as far as pressing Charles up against the far wall of the shower and kissing him roughly before Charles squirmed out of his grasp and stumbled out of the shower, hurrying away whilst using his powers to mentally give Erik the finger. Charles could still hear Erik laughing while he changed out of his wet clothes in the bedroom, which made it hard not to start smiling himself.

Erik was still grinning whilst they waited in the living room, smirking at Charles and rubbing Charles’ knee with one hand as they sat together on the sofa. Charles was trying his best to look unimpressed as he kept his focus straight down on the book he was holding, but he couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth curling up in a slight smile.

A knock at the door interrupted them, and Charles stood up to go answer it. When he opened the door Raven greeted Charles cautiously whilst Hank smiled warmly behind her, Raven’s eyes scanning the room behind Charles.

“Is Erik here?”, she asked. “How are you two doi---“, Raven froze abruptly as Erik walked into the hallway.

“Good morning, Raven”, Erik said cordially, moving forward to wrap his arm around Charles’ waist. Raven’s eyes visibly widened as she watched them, her mouth opening slightly in an unspoken question.

Charles shifted uncomfortably where he stood, realising how much had changed since he’d last spoken to his sister. Clearly, he had a lot of explaining to do. 

 

Raven and Hank listened carefully whilst Charles told them everything that had happened yesterday. Well, not _everything_ … Charles wisely decided to spare his sister the lewd details of his night with Erik, though given how affectionate Erik was with Charles and how little Charles minded, from the look Raven gave them it was clear she could sense that something had changed.

Raven sat with Hank on the sofa whilst Charles perched on a small footstool in front of them, Erik sitting close behind in a nearby chair. Both Raven and Hank’s eyes widened in horror as Charles told them of his encounter at the university with Shaw and Emma, and they looked thoroughly appalled as Charles briefly detailed Erik’s history with Shaw at the training camp.

When Charles was finished Raven looked like she was in disbelief, shaking her head vigorously.

“But I don’t understand. I’ve known Emma for ages”, she insisted. “She’s always been a good friend to me”.

“Well you never mentioned her before you brought her to the party”, Erik countered. “When exactly did you meet?”

Raven opened her mouth to explain but stopped abruptly, tilting her head to one side in confusion. Charles could practically feel the neurons in her brain firing; mind searching for memories, but falling short.

“I… I don’t remember”, Raven said at last, dropping her gaze to her lap as Hank placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Charles bit his lip thoughtfully as he regarded his sister. “I don’t think I’m the only one whose mind has been messed with, but in your case there may be something we can do about it…”

Raven’s eyes rolled back up to Charles. “What do you mean?”, she frowned.

“I can’t help myself”, Charles answered. “I can’t access my stolen memories, but I might be able to find yours… If you’re willing to let me in”.

Raven visibly balked, shaking her head furiously at Charles. “No. You promised me you would never get inside my head”.

“I know…”, Charles replied softly, reaching to touch Raven’s knee reassuringly. “But I don’t see another choice. You might have information that could really help us, and I promise I won’t pry into anything you don’t want me to see. You can just visualise a wall, and any thoughts or memories you want to keep hidden you just need to place that wall around them. I won’t look, I promise”.

Raven looked at Hank uncertainly, clearly uncomfortable but less defiant than before. Hank squeezed her shoulder and nodded in encouragement, and Raven’s gaze moved back to Charles.

“You promise?”

“I promise”. 

 

 

 

Since Raven had first come into his life when they were children, Charles had spent a long time trying to keep out of her head. It was often frustrating for him- particularly when he was young and had difficulty controlling his powers; he couldn’t help but slip sometimes and it always made Raven furious. Gradually though, Charles learned to control his gift, and he learned to read Raven’s moods without prying into her head- respecting the privacy she so desperately wanted.

Breaking that rule for the first time in years made Charles feel terribly guilty, but he knew that it was necessary if they were going to take on Shaw. And so, after a small nod of permission from Raven, Charles entered her mind.

There were walls everywhere. Raven was clearly panicking, worrying about keeping Charles away from her, fighting to hide her every memory and thought. Charles stayed still for a while- not prying, projecting a sense of calm into Raven’s troubled mind, reassuring his sister that he would never do anything to hurt her. Eventually it worked, and gradually the walls began to come down so Charles could see.

Charles skimmed through Raven’s memories, searching for any signs of Emma or Shaw lurking inside. It took some untangling, but eventually he found it- following a bright shimmer to watch Raven’s first meeting with Emma, seeing the look of confusion on Raven’s face as Emma walked into the room, before Raven's eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped to the ground. The same red mutant Charles had seen in Erik’s memory appeared and took Raven and Emma to another building, where they kept Raven for a short time whilst Emma implanted false memories in her head and covered other ones. Eventually they returned Raven home, before disappearing from sight once again.

Charles carefully released his hold on Raven’s mind, coming back to himself in the room. Raven reeled back rather more violently from the experience- visibly shaken but otherwise unharmed as Hank held her gently.

“Thank you”, Charles said eventually, regarding his sister with quiet love and affection. Raven only nodded in return.

“Well, what did you find?”, Erik asked, nudging Charles in the back lightly as he leaned forward.

“I think... I think I might know where they are”, Charles responded, turning around to look at Erik.

“How?”, Erik frowned.

“I saw Emma take Raven away to plant memories in her head- I recognised the building where they did it. It’s not far from here- it used to be a factory, but it closed down years ago”.

“Do you think that’s where Shaw is?”, Erik asked.

Charles shrugged. “It’s possible. I never saw him there, but it stands to reason that if they took Raven there then that’s probably where they took me too, so it could at least provide us with further clues”.

Erik stood abruptly. “Alright, I’m going over there. Tell me where it is”.

“Woah now, hold up a second”, Charles said, grabbing Erik’s leg. “Let’s not go rushing into anything. And besides- you’re not going anywhere alone”.

“He’s right”, Raven interjected, “We do this together”.

Charles whirled back round to face his sister. “Hang on, that’s not what I meant. I don’t want you involved in this either”.

“Charles, I’m already involved!”, Raven protested, looking incredulously at Charles. “I’m as much a part of this as you are, and I’m not going to let you face this alone. You or Erik”.

Hank was watching the situation carefully- his eyes flicking from Raven’s heated objections to Charles determined gaze to Erik’s tense stance. He seemed to be surveying the scene like it was one of his experiments and he was trying to predict the outcome, before eventually realising that he was going to have to pick a side.

“Charles…”, Hank spoke warily, “I think Raven’s right- we’re stronger together. We’re a team, and we need to take the fight to them”. 

 

 

 

And that was how Charles later found himself in the backseat of the car with his sister, still arguing as Erik drove them across town, whilst Hank looked on exasperated from the passenger seat.

“Just what do you think is going to happen, Charles??”, Raven demanded. “You and Emma are both telepaths- you’re powerless against her. What are you going to do, throw migraines at each other?”

Charles scowled, looking at his sister in annoyance as Erik raised his eyebrows at them both in the rear-view mirror.

“I may not be able to touch Emma, but if I can get to Shaw without her interference I can stop him”, Charles uttered through gritted teeth.

“And what exactly is your plan, if you do get your hands on Shaw?”, Erik interjected, turning to look at Charles whilst using his powers to keep control of the car.

“Just... to stop him”, Charles responded. “I can hold him, until we figure out a way to contain his power”.

Erik looked at Charles for a long moment, his jaw set tight.

“Charles… I’m not going to stop Shaw. I’m going to kill him”.

“Erik, no”, Charles whispered, looking at Erik in horror. He could see the determination in Erik’s eyes, the resolute anger, and part of him knew this was inevitable from the start- an outcome foreshadowed in Erik’s mind from the second Charles had seen what Shaw had done.

“Erik, violence isn’t the answer…”, Charles continued carefully. “I know that Shaw needs to be stopped, I know he needs to pay for what he’s done. But killing him… It won’t bring you peace”.

Erik regarded Charles quietly- his face deadly calm yet determined, but in his eyes there was consideration; a devotion to Charles that cracked his resolve. That is, until Raven interrupted them…

“I think Erik’s right”, Raven stated. “We need to kill Shaw”.

Charles whirled to face his sister, his eyes widening in disbelief. Charles felt like everything was spinning out of control- dangerous emotions crackling in the air and filling the atmosphere with an impassioned rage that made Charles’ head hurt.

“No, this isn’t the way”, Charles insisted, shaking his head. Hank looked on sympathetically from the front of the car, clearly uncomfortable with the direction things were taking as well.

The car came to a halt abruptly, and both Raven and Erik began to get out before Charles could say anything further. He scrambled out of the car after them, hurrying around to the other side of the vehicle before grabbing Erik with one hand and Raven with the other.

“Wait, stop”, Charles insisted, looking at each of them in turn. “Don’t be so reckless, _please_. We can choose a better path”.

“He’s right”, Hank interjected, coming to stand behind Charles. “If we choose to kill, then we’re no better than them”.

Erik and Raven looked at each other carefully, their faces mirroring the same vengeful determination. Charles knew he could stop them- one small nudge with his telepathy and they would be powerless to resist, but that wasn’t his way. This was a decision they would have to make on their own...

 

 

 

The door creaked as it opened- the sound sharp and jarring in the comparative silence of the mild day. Charles peered around the edge cautiously, taking in the dim room before him and mentally scanning for any nearby presences. Finding none, he ventured tentatively into the room, beckoning the others to follow.

Erik, Raven, and Hank trailed behind slowly, allowing Charles to take the lead, albeit some more begrudgingly than others…

“Charles, get back here”, Erik whispered heatedly, pulling Charles by the arm so that he ended up pressed against Erik’s chest.

Raven and Erik had listened to Charles’ request not to kill, for which Charles was eternally grateful, but he could tell that neither of them were particularly happy with their decision, and their rage had barely tempered. The main emotion that Erik was broadcasting though was concern. He worried about Charles; about what Shaw had done to him in the past and what he could still do in the future. He worried about Raven and Hank; fearing that he might have led more people into the deadly clutches of a madman. What Charles was surprised to realise though was that Erik wasn’t worried about himself. His every thought, sentiment, and emotion was focused purely on the preservation of others. It was a selfless compassion that caused a swell of emotion in Charles’ chest, one that Charles couldn’t help but feel was strangely familiar.

The foursome crept through the lower level of the abandoned factory, looking for clues, information, anything really, but finding nothing. Eventually they reached a large processing room at the back of the building and ventured inside, moving in-between tables and large machinery, stumbling occasionally in the dark and grimy room. Abruptly Charles stopped, causing Hank to barrel into him.

“Someone’s coming”, Charles stated.

Charles telepathy preceded the ambush by mere seconds. Immediately there was the sound of footsteps- dozens of people rushing down the nearby stairs and bursting into the room. Erik tensed and all of the metal in the room began to shake, before Charles placed a calming hand on Erik’s arm. Erik looked down at Charles faithfully; understanding implicitly.

“Stop them, Charles”, Erik said softly.

Charles lifted two fingers to his temple and closed his eyes, reaching his telepathy out into the room like sonar sweeping over the ocean floor. He found every hostile presence in the immediate vicinity- their minds bright and glaring like torchlight in a deep, dark cave. Carefully, he snuffed them out.

All around the room bodies began to fall, slumping to the ground as they fell into unwanted unconsciousness. Charles watched them as they dropped, helping where he could to ensure they didn’t injure themselves on the way down. They were in a state of mind control- Charles could tell- as much a victim of Shaw’s games as anyone else. Charles mind wandered next to Shaw, reaching out as far as he could throughout the building in search of him. He felt his mind lock on at last, just beginning to come into contact with Shaw’s presence, before suddenly there was a strange whooshing noise, and he felt himself be pulled from the room.


	7. Chapter 7

 

 

One moment Charles was surrounded by love and warmth. He could feel Raven’s fierce compassion, he could feel Hank’s warm affection, he could feel Erik’s ardent devotion. Then, suddenly, they were gone. Or rather, Charles was.

Charles shoved away from the hands holding him, whirling to face his kidnapper and finding a mutant with dark red skin glaring coldly back at him. Charles lashed out with his mind and the mutant stumbled backwards, but before Charles could disarm him completely he felt an unwelcome presence enter the room- sharp and cutting against Charles’ mind, stunting him immediately.

Emma Frost walked through the door, wearing the same cool gaze as always as she regarded Charles in her diamond form. Charles immediately felt vulnerable without his powers- attempting to stretch out but flinching when his mind brushed up against Emma’s sharp edges. He backed away across the room, searching for a way out but finding only four bare walls with peeling paint, a single door which Emma was blocking, and a table that Charles banged into, knocking a variety of metal objects from its surface. Charles looked down, realising the objects were of a medical variety- scalpels, tweezers, needles, bone saws… A cutting feeling ran through Charles’ mind, like the fracture of a broken memory, one he couldn’t quite see but that hurt him nonetheless.

Shaw entered without fanfare, but from the look on his face it was clear he felt like a king entering a royal court.

“Professor, so lovely to see you again”, Shaw smirked, his eyes raking over Charles.

Charles glared back at him fiercely, hating how vulnerable he felt when Shaw and his crew were around.

“Where are they? What have you done with my sister and the others?”, Charles demanded.

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about them. My little minions will be keeping Erik and your other pals busy downstairs for quite a while… And in the meantime you and I have plenty of time for a nice chat…”

Shaw began to drift closer to Charles, causing Charles to back up further before he realised there was nowhere left to go.

“So, Charles…”, Shaw continued, grinning evilly. “I’m sure you’re wondering what exactly happened to you during those blissful ten days you spent in my company. I wish I could just snap my fingers and reveal all to you, but it’s not so simple to undo what we so carefully put in place...”

“What do you mean?”, Charles frowned, glancing from Shaw to Emma and back again.

“Well, after Azazel here grabbed you…”, Shaw gestured towards the red mutant, “He brought you to our lair so that you and Emma could have a mental showdown, of sorts. You’re pretty equally matched, you know, except for the fact that Emma’s diamond form enables her to fully block your telepathy, which you can’t quite manage with her. But erasing memories… That’s another matter altogether. After a couple of days of struggling with you we had to resort to rather more… _intrusive_ methods of affecting your mind”. Shaw’s eyes flicked pointedly to the surgical instruments scattered at Charles’ feet, and Charles felt his stomach churn in recognition.

Shaw reached out to grasp Charles by the face suddenly, causing Charles to jump away and panicking when Shaw’s grip only tightened, holding Charles painfully still.

“It was a shard, in the end…”, Shaw murmured, holding Charles’ face inches from his own as he stared at him. “A small sliver of Emma’s diamond form. A great sacrifice on her part, you understand, but necessary…”.

Shaw’s other hand moved up to Charles’ hairline, fingertips tracing along Charles’ skin.

“I’m surprised you can’t feel it”, Shaw continued, running his fingers along a small area a few inches above Charles’ eyebrow. “You certainly screamed when we pushed it in… It’s remarkable what a small fragment like that can do. Well, that and a cocktail of mutant-made narcotics, embezzled from my previous willing volunteers…”

Charles was shaking, feeling sick and violated as he listened to Shaw finally shed light on what had happened. His jaw ached where Shaw was gripping him, and he so badly wanted to see Erik or his sister or Hank, if only to know that they were okay. Without his telepathy he was unable to keep track of them, so he had no idea how they were coping downstairs, or even if they were still alive...

“What do you want from me? Why go to the trouble of tampering with my memories?”, Charles asked at last, trying to keep his voice from quivering.

Shaw smiled sardonically in return. “Why, professor- you certainly think a lot of yourself, don’t you? This isn’t about you at all, this is about your precious boyfriend, Erik. Or should that be former boyfriend…”

Charles frowned in his confusion, as Shaw continued:

“Erik took something very special from me. I was building an empire, and he tore it down, and after he was finished he just ran away like a little child. I tried for years to track him down, but he always seemed to be one step ahead of me… Then, one day, a source told me that he was here- settled down with you like a housebroken dog”.

Shaw’s mouth curled downwards into an unimpressed sneer. “How pathetic. He had such promise, such incredible power, and yet he was willing to abandon everything. Of course, I couldn’t have that. And what better way to destroy him than to take away the most important part of his pitiful existence. You”.

“What was it like, Charles?”, Shaw jeered. “How did Erik react when you told him you didn’t know who he was? Did you see his heart break? Did you watch him crumble?”

“Fuck you”, Charles spat out, glaring at Shaw in fury. Big mistake.

Shaw leaned back, holding Charles at arm’s length as he stared coldly at him. He reached forward once, stretching a single fingertip towards Charles and pressing gently on Charles’ forehead. The result, however, was rather less gentle- Charles was thrown back violently, rolling across the table behind him and crashing forcibly to the ground. Charles writhed on the floor, wheezing in pain and attempting to scramble back to his feet as Shaw leisurely wandered around the table and approached him. He gripped Charles by the face once again, hauling him to his feet whilst Charles struggled.

“Perhaps I was wrong”, Shaw uttered emotionlessly. “I thought that this would be the best way to hurt Erik- to rip him from your memories and send you back, broken. To let him live with the shell of you, wanting you but not able to have you; nothing more than a stranger in your eyes”.

Shaw’s mouth curved in a cruel smile as he continued:

“I saw what he had planned for you. He was going to pop that pretty question and ask you to be his forever, and you would have said yes- Emma saw it so clearly in your mind. That was probably the sweetest memory to destroy… But I think perhaps the time for games is over. Perhaps the best way to hurt Erik isn’t just to take away your memories, it’s to take you away altogether…”

Shaw leaned closer, staring menacingly into Charles' eyes. Charles was finding it hard to breathe- both a combination of fear and feeling winded from when he’d crashed to the ground earlier.

“I wonder if that will be the thing that breaks him…”, Shaw murmured, eyes raking over Charles’ face. “To find your broken body, to know that you suffered before you died. To know that he couldn’t save you, just like he couldn’t save all those other mutants I killed…”

Charles was scared, but at his core he remained resolute. He wasn’t going to die- not here, not now. He had to beat Shaw, he had to figure out a way to escape. And, from what little he knew of the psychopath who held him in such a deadly grip, he knew that Shaw had an ego. He clearly loved to talk, and maybe if Charles could keep him talking long enough it might give the others enough time to find him.

“Why did you do it?”, Charles asked. “Why did you kill those mutants?”

Shaw scoffed, looking at Charles derisively. “Why, in the name of science, of course. We’re better than them- mutants are the future, and the rest of the human race will wither and die as we take over. But it’s not without sacrifice. We need to learn more; do more to unlock the secrets of evolution, and the only way to do that is through experimentation”.

Shaw looked away from Charles, his face almost apologetic, though Charles was willing to bet that Shaw had never felt sorry for anything he’d ever done in his life.

“It’s a shame, really, that so many had to die… But it was a necessary sacrifice”, Shaw lamented. “It’s a shame that you have to die too”, he continued, looking back to Charles, “You have such an incredible gift… But I can’t have you messing up my plans”.

Charles heard a noise coming from somewhere outside the room- an abrupt scuffling sound. His eyes jerked desperately to the closed door but no one entered. The noise hadn’t gone unnoticed by Shaw.

“Azazel, go see to that”, Shaw instructed, turning briefly to look at the red mutant.

With a nod Azazel was gone, and Shaw turned his attention back to Charles. His eyes dragged fastidiously over Charles, coming to focus on his chest. Still holding Charles by the face tightly he lifted his other hand and placed his palm over Charles’ heart. Immediately Charles began to panic- knowing the power that Shaw possessed, remembering when he’d seen Shaw crush Alex’s skull in Erik’s memories. Shaw was going to rip Charles’ heart out- Charles knew it. His eyes frantically swept the room for any hope of escape, finding nothing but Emma looking on uncaringly from in front of the door, incandescently bright in the dim room.

Charles' eyes jumped back to Shaw, hope fading as he viewed the indifference in his cold, dead eyes. Shaw pressed his palm down on Charles’ chest, and the pain began.

 

There was a crushing feeling; an intense pressure that made Charles’ legs give out and caused him to scream involuntarily. But it was only a second of agony before the pressure relented, Shaw turning abruptly at the sound of the door slamming open. Emma whirled around to face the doorway; barely having time to react before a long metal chain burst into the room and wrapped around her throat, dragging her to the ground and pulling her violently out of the room.

Shaw loosened his hold on Charles slightly, and Charles felt something else ease too- Emma’s sharp grip on his mind lessening the longer she remained outside. Charles could only speculate on what could be happening to Emma to make her suddenly get weaker, but he found himself feeling grateful as the smallest ebb of his telepathy began to come back into his control.

Charles didn’t have long to appreciate the feeling though, as immediately Shaw yanked Charles towards him and span him round so that Charles’ back was plastered against his chest- Shaw’s hand clasping dangerously around Charles’ throat. Shaw turned them around to face the door, just as Erik entered.

A sense of relief washed over Charles as he beheld Erik, noting that not only was Erik alive but he was also relatively unharmed- the only evidence of whatever had happened downstairs a long gash on Erik’s face that was slowly dripping blood. Erik edged into the room slowly, a guarded expression on his face as he took in the sight of Charles held powerlessly in Shaw’s grasp.

“Erik, how wonderful of you to join us”, Shaw exclaimed, smiling slyly.

“Let. Him. GO”, Erik demanded warningly, glaring at Shaw. Erik moved his fingers slightly, and the surgical instruments scattered on the floor were pulled upwards, turning to face Shaw as they hovered in the air.

“Careful now, Erik”, Shaw murmured, “You may be skilled with metal, but do you really think you’re sharp enough to fire those things at me without hitting your beloved Charles? And besides, look how vulnerably he rests in my grasp. One little twist of my fingers, and his pretty neck will be snapped in two. Are you sure you’re quick enough to stop that?”

Erik stopped moving forward but didn’t drop the metal, his eyes fixed helplessly on Shaw’s fingers on Charles’ neck.

“Erik…”, Charles uttered, straining in Shaw’s arms. “Raven and Hank…?”

“They’re fine”, Erik surmised. “They’re busy taking care of Shaw’s sidekicks”.

“Careful, Erik…”, Shaw warned. “If anything happens to Emma or Azazel I might get a tad upset with you”.

“What is it that you want, Shaw?”, Erik asked. “You want me to pay for what I did? Fine, then kill me. But let Charles go”.

“My dear boy, what makes you think I want you to die?”, Shaw replied incredulously. “I could have killed you a hundred times over by now if I wanted to... It may give me some pleasure to see you suffer, but killing you? That’s another matter entirely”.

“Then what do you want?”, Erik frowned.

“I want you to join me”.

Erik’s face visibly dropped in shock.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”, Erik replied impassively.

Shaw’s grip tightened on Charles’ neck, causing Charles to let out a small squeak. Erik tensed immediately, clenching his fists.

“I wouldn’t mock me if I were you, Erik”, Shaw warned. “Don’t forget I have your boyfriend’s life in my hands. Now, if you want him to live, I suggest you do what I say- and join me”.

“Why would you want me by your side?”, Erik asked carefully.

“Because we are the future of the human race. I don’t want to hurt you, Erik. I never did. But sometimes certain… _demonstrations_ are necessary in order to ensure victory. Mutants will inherit the earth; don’t you want to be there when it happens?”

Charles listened to Shaw talk, recoiling at the alarming detachment in his voice. Shaw was a sociopath. He so obviously believed that what he was saying was completely reasonable; completely possible. Charles could think of nothing worse than a world with this man in charge.

“I’ll make you a deal, Erik”, Shaw continued. “Come with me now- letting Emma and Azazel go too, of course, and I’ll let Charles live. He can go back to his civilian life, without you, just the way he remembers it. He’ll be safe, and you’ll be able to put your powers to good use, for once”.

It was ridiculous, clearly. Charles would have laughed at the suggestion were he not so fearful of Shaw crushing his windpipe. He watched Erik, shaking his head as much as he could manage in Shaw’s death grip.

“You’ll really let Charles go?”, Erik asked, not looking at Charles.

Charles let out a strangled sound, twisting slightly in Shaw’s grasp.

“Of course”, Shaw smiled.

Erik looked down at the ground for a long moment, considering.

“Okay”, he said at last, eyes flicking back up to Shaw. All around Erik the metal objects he’d been holding up with his powers clattered to the floor.

“Excellent”, Shaw responded, releasing his hold on Charles. Charles sagged to the ground, chest heaving as he gasped for breath but fighting to look up at Erik. Maddeningly, Erik wasn’t looking back at him- his eyes were fixed on Shaw as Shaw approached him and placed a hand on his arm, beginning to turn Erik towards the door.

In that moment Charles realised what was happening. Erik was giving up his life for him. He was willing to go with this man he so clearly hated, he was willing to be at the beck and call of a psychopath in order to keep Charles safe. Charles didn’t doubt that Erik would never help Shaw in his attempts to rule the world, not if it meant torturing more innocent mutants, but that was worse- because betraying Shaw meant certain death and Erik knew that. He was sacrificing himself.

Charles was faced with a terrible choice, one that went against his very nature. But, for Erik, he was prepared to make a concession.

 _“Erik…”_ , Charles projected into Erik’s mind, _“Stop him- your way”_.

Erik whirled to face Charles, staring down at him doubtfully. Charles only gave a small nod in return before reaching his fingers to his temple as Erik turned on Shaw- his eyes resolute and lethal. Charles grabbed hold of Shaw with his telepathy, shaking in his weakened state but managing to hold him as Erik used his powers to float a single scalpel in the air. He directed it at Shaw and it hit him quickly in between his eyes, slicing through his brain and out the other side. The blade clattered to the floor, Shaw tumbled also, and just like that it was over.

Charles slumped forward on the ground, exhausted and shaking with grief and guilt; his head throbbing as the ripples of Shaw’s death rocked through him. Erik was by his side in an instant, scooping Charles into his arms and tilting his head up.

“Charles… Charles are you okay?”, Erik asked, gripping him by the face and looking down at him with frantic concern. Charles winced- his jaw aching from where Shaw had grasped him earlier- pushing weakly at Erik’s arms to get him to let go. Erik removed his hands from Charles’ face, reaching instead to lift him under the arms and pulling him to his feet.

“Come on, let’s get out of here”, Erik urged, guiding Charles towards the door.

Outside they came across Emma in her human visage- dazed and with a metal chain still wrapped tight around her neck, tying her to the nearby wall. Stumbling through the hallway and down a flight of stairs, Charles and Erik entered another room at the bottom and Charles burst into a joyful smile at the sight of his sister- alive and well and glorious in her true blue form. She was breathing hard, just standing up from a hunched position on the floor, moving so that Charles could see Hank too- leaning over the unconscious body of Azazel.

“Charles!”, Raven exclaimed, running towards him. She barrelled into Charles and enveloped him in a crushing hug, which he would have enjoyed were he not experiencing so much pain.

“Easy, sis”, Charles beseeched, gently pushing her away. “I’m a little banged up here”.

Raven’s stepped back, yellow eyes suddenly furious. “Where’s Shaw?”, she demanded.

“Dead”, Erik stated simply. Raven’s eyebrows raised questioningly, eyes darting to Charles in concern, but Charles could only look away, feeling ashamed.

“We should go”, Erik insisted. “Charles needs to get to a hospital”.

“But what are we going to do about them?”, Hank asked, gesturing to Azazel.

Erik paused. “I think I need to make a few phone calls…”, he responded finally. “I still have some contacts in the government- people who know what Shaw did. People who will know what to do with these two. You guys go- I’ll stay here and clear up this mess”.

“Erik, no”, Charles urged, gripping him on the arm. “You can’t. What if they arrest you, or worse? I’m not leaving you”.

Erik smiled down at Charles tenderly. “I’ll be okay. Please, go with Hank and your sister to the hospital. Get better. I’ll come home when I can, I promise”.

Charles opened his mouth to protest further but Erik leaned down and kissed him, stopping his words. When Erik was finished he moved back from Charles, leaving Raven and Hank room to step in- supporting Charles and escorting him out of the factory.

Erik watched him as he went.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally here! Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the past few weeks- I really appreciate every single kudos and comment :)
> 
> I have more Cherik stories for you very, very soon- please [follow me on Tumblr](http://cherikyassss.tumblr.com/) for updates when I post stuff.

 

 

Charles had never been particularly fond of hospitals. He’d spent far more time in them than he would have liked when he was younger and, like most things, the onset of his telepathy had made the experience even more difficult. It was hard enough dealing with his own feelings sometimes, but being in a hospital- surrounded by the ill and the dying, their distressed emotions filling the atmosphere. It was almost too much to bear.

Fortunately, as Charles had learnt to control his gift as he got older, the ordeal grew to be less terrible than before. Still, he relied on Hank as a close friend to assist him with any minor medical issues, so it had been a while since he’d actually set foot inside a hospital. The only reason he was even entertaining the idea today was that Hank clearly needed medical attention too, so he was in no state to fix Charles up.

From their battle with Shaw and his cronies, Charles, Raven, and Hank had all suffered various injuries. Raven seemed to have fared the best- sporting a small limp from a suspected twisted ankle, no doubt as a result of some feat of acrobatics. Hank was slightly worse off- a puncture wound in his leg from an enemy blade. Charles certainly looked the most beat up- as well as the impressive bruise from his earlier collarbone injury, he now had a large welt around his neck from where Shaw had gripped him, a bruised chest, and further contusions along his face and jaw.

Charles sat in the hospital impatiently, waiting to be looked at. He couldn’t stop thinking about Erik- wondering if he was okay, if he’d made contact with the people he knew, if they’d taken Emma and Azazel away, if Erik would ever return home again like he promised… Eventually, the doctors came to look at Charles. It turned out that his collarbone was broken after all- only a very minor fracture, but they bandaged his arm up in a sling anyway.

Really though, Charles couldn’t have cared less about his collarbone or his jaw or his neck. What he was really worried about was his mind.

Ever since Shaw had revealed what had happened to Charles- that he had a small fragment of Emma’s diamond form implanted in his brain- he could think of nothing else than getting it removed. But what pained him was, he didn’t even know if that was a possibility.

The doctors had run a scan on Charles’ head- searching for general damage, not really aware that Charles was looking for something entirely different. He didn’t find it though- frankly he didn’t even know what he was looking for- but he acquired a copy of the scans to show Hank later.

By the time the sun has started to set Charles was at the university with Hank and Raven, waiting expectantly as Hank pored over the scans. Raven had fallen asleep on the sofa in Hank’s office, whilst Hank sat behind his desk and Charles perched on a chair in front of him.

“There’s definitely something there…”, Hank said, staring hard at his computer screen. “But whatever it is, it’s tiny. No wonder we never noticed it before. And unfortunately I don’t know how you would go about removing it”.

“Please, you have to try”, Charles urged. “This may be the only way to get my memories back”.

“Charles, I’m not a surgeon”, Hank responded apologetically. “I wouldn’t have the first idea how to perform a procedure like that”.

Charles' gaze fell, slumping back in his chair in defeat.

“However…”, Hank continued. “I may know someone who can help us. Though I don’t know how we’d begin to explain all this…”

“I can take care of that”, Charles replied, tapping at his head.

“Okay then…”, Hank smiled. “Give me a few days to set it up, and then I guess you’re having surgery”. 

 

 

 

A few days turned out to be five, each of which were torturous for Charles. He felt _wrong_ , knowing that there was this foreign object inside of him, but not being able to do anything about it. Hank was apologetic- explaining that a job like this required specialist people, and they needed time to travel. It was all very hush-hush, but frankly Charles wasn’t much interested in the details- he just wanted the procedure done.

There was still no word from Erik, which only made Charles feel worse. He slept badly- jolting awake frequently reliving Shaw’s hands on him, reaching out wildly both physically and mentally for comfort, but finding nothing but an empty room. He _missed_ Erik, which Charles partly found ridiculous given that he had technically only known him for a few days. But he knew now that Erik meant so much more to him than that, and he couldn’t help how he felt.

Most days Charles’ worst fears played through his mind- thinking that Erik had been arrested after all, or that Emma and Azazel had somehow broken free and kidnapped him, or that he was dead… Charles felt sick with worry, and spent a majority of the time curled up with that stupid small t-shirt Erik had been wearing, because it still smelled like him.

On the morning of the surgery Charles woke early, dressing quickly and brushing his teeth before hurrying downstairs. Halfway down the steps he froze at the sound of a noise outside, but when he realised who it was he leapt down the rest of the stairs and ran to the door.

Erik opened the door cautiously and started to step inside, but was immediately halted by Charles charging into him- throwing himself into Erik’s arms, in spite of the fact that his movement was hampered by the sling he was still wearing. Erik reacted quickly, reaching his arms around Charles to steady him and smiling widely as he rested his face against the top of Charles’ head. Charles breathed him in, pressing his face into Erik’s chest and just thinking: _“He’s safe, thank God…”_

Eventually Erik pulled back from Charles slightly- reaching up to cup his jaw and gazing tenderly into his face.

“I guess you’re recovering nicely?”, Erik enquired, smiling down at Charles. His eyes flicked to Charles’ bandaged arm and shoulder, starting to frown slightly.

“Just a tiny fracture”, Charles explained. “I’ll be fine in a few weeks. How are you? What happened with…?”

“I’m fine”, Erik replied, pressing a brief kiss against Charles forehead. “Emma and Azazel have been contained. The people I spoke to weren’t exactly pleased with what happened to Shaw… I think they wanted to capture him alive. But I explained what had taken place- that it was self-defence, and they seemed to understand”.

Charles bit his lip, feeling culpable.

“It _was_ self-defence, you know”, Erik reiterated, rubbing the skin below Charles’ ears with his thumbs. “We didn’t have a choice- Shaw was going to kill you, and probably me too despite what he said, and surely countless others. We did the world a favour”.

Charles knew Erik was right, but it didn’t diminish his guilt.

Stepping out of Erik’s embrace, Charles reached for his hand and pulled him lightly into the room.

“I’ve got to go”, Charles explained, stepping to move past Erik.

“Go? Go where?”, Erik frowned.

“Surgery”, Charles replied, which only made Erik frown deeper. It occurred to him that Erik hadn’t been there when Shaw had revealed what they’d done to his memories.

“Come with me”, Charles beckoned, tugging on Erik’s hand. “I’ll explain on the way”. 

 

A short while later Charles was prepped and ready for surgery, sitting nervously in a waiting room as Erik rubbed his hand. Charles had told Erik everything on the drive over- describing what Shaw and Emma had done to him, and how Charles believed they would be able to remove the shard through surgery. He saw the hope light up Erik’s eyes as he told him that this procedure might enable his memories to return, and Charles knew that it was something Erik wanted possibly even more than he did.

The results, however, were disappointing. Charles awoke from surgery, groggy and disorientated in the hospital bed, mind reaching even before his eyes opened and taking in the grounding presence of Erik sitting by the bed next to him. He opened his eyes to find Erik looking down at him in concern and anticipation, holding Charles’ hand in his own. Charles knew what Erik wanted to know, and he so badly wanted to tell him that- yes, he remembered their life together at last. But it simply wasn’t true.

Charles looked at Erik sadly, and shook his head.

To his credit, Erik tried very hard to hide his disappointment, reassuring Charles that it didn’t matter, that he was there for Charles regardless and was happy for them to start over, if that’s what Charles wanted. Charles tried a little reassurance of his own- telling Erik that maybe it wouldn’t be an instantaneous thing, that maybe it would take time for his memories to return, even if he didn’t really believe what he was saying.

When it happened, Charles was in the kitchen back home making tea. He’d been getting two mugs from the cupboard, turning to place them on the counter when suddenly there was a flash in his mind. Charles legs gave out under him and he slammed to the ground with a thump, the palm of his non-bandaged hand smacking against the floor as he fell on his ass.

It was like a hundred voices shouting in his head all of a sudden- a cacophony of noise that made Charles shut his eyes tight as he tried to process it. He could see a wide smile, grinning at him in a noisy bar. He could see green eyes, looking at him in abject desire from across a room. He could see long fingers, tracing over his skin as he lay in bed. He could see… Erik. All of him. _His_ Erik.

When Charles opened his eyes Erik was knelt in front of him, his hands gripping Charles face gently as he looked at him in concern. A thousand different images of Erik continued to flick through Charles’ mind, until suddenly he was laughing- hysterical sound bursting out of his mouth and visibly startling Erik.

“I’m… I’m sorry”, Charles gasped eventually, still doubled over with hysteria. “I was just remembering when we were on holiday in Cuba. You fell asleep on the beach with your sunglasses on, and when you woke up you had the most ridiculous tan lines…” Charles trailed off, wheezing with laughter.

Gradually Charles managed to compose himself, containing his mirth and looking back up at Erik at last. Erik was gazing down at Charles in pure contentment, smiling but with silent tears rolling down his face.

“Hey… Don’t cry, darling...” Charles said softly, wiping a tear from Erik’s face, “Your tan looks lovely now”.

Erik laughed at last, pulling Charles into his arms and ducking his head down to kiss him passionately. 

 

 

 

Over the next few hours Charles’ memories continued to return, resulting in many more moments of hilarity as Charles recalled all the silly things he and Erik had done over the course of their three years together. Other times Charles would get very quiet, heat rising in his face and breathing hard as he remembered rather more intimate events in his and Erik’s past, prompting Erik to sit far too close to Charles and prod him as he tried to get Charles to detail what he was seeing, though Charles would only smile coyly and shake his head.

Of course, there were some memories that made a rather more unwelcome return. Those ten days that Charles had spent under Shaw’s thrall came back too, and Charles was forced to relive exactly what had happened to him. He lay with his head in Erik’s lap when it happened- Erik tracing his fingers soothingly through Charles’ hair as he shook.

By the time Charles and Erik were getting ready for bed, Charles felt like everything was finally back in place. He felt whole again, at last.

Erik helped Charles remove his clothes and his sling before they got into bed, insisting that Charles just couldn’t possibly manage without his help, in spite of the fact that he had coped fine the previous five days.

“You’re not fooling anyone, you know”, Charles smirked, laying back on the bed whilst Erik leaned over him. “I know you were just looking for an excuse to take my shirt off”.

Erik raised an eyebrow in response. “Don’t flatter yourself, Charles”, he responded dryly, tracing his fingers over Charles’ collarbone. “I’m merely checking your injury; I have no desire to seduce you”.

“Tell that to your penis”, Charles quipped, lifting his leg to press his knee against Erik’s crotch. Erik groaned softly in response, eyelids fluttering before he looked back to Charles in an attempt at a feint scowl.

“Charles…”, Erik cautioned, “Your collarbone needs time to heal. You need rest, so you certainly can’t do anything _strenuous_ ”.

“Then be gentle with me”, Charles reasoned, gazing up at Erik innocently. 

 

Those intentions didn’t last long. Charles ended up on his stomach, face down as Erik fucked him into the mattress, although Erik did rather thoughtfully place an icepack under Charles shoulder before he started. Erik slid his hands under Charles’ chest, embracing him from behind as he thrust forward, pressing kisses all over Charles’ upper back and up the side of his neck, Charles turning his head in time to kiss Erik fully.

Charles knew it was coming, so when Erik mouthed Charles’ ear whispering: “Charles, come to me…”, he didn’t hesitate.

Closing his eyes, Charles slipped inside Erik’s mind for the first time in what felt like a lifetime.

There was so much love in Erik’s mind, so much devotion and passion it took Charles’ breath away. Charles fell into Erik willingly, drifting through his organised psyche, letting Erik’s desire wash over him, looking at himself through Erik’s eyes. He felt his connection to Erik deepen as it always did- his psychic ability enabling them to link on a more profound level. And, in turn, Charles reached out to Erik and pulled him back into his own mind, allowing Erik to feel what he felt, to see what he saw.

Erik continued to rock into Charles steadily, pushing down into him, running his hands over Charles skin while Charles reached back to grip Erik’s thigh as he thrust. Their minds mingled together, feeling the same pleasure; the shared experience heightening the sensations and pushing both of them towards release.

Charles couldn’t remember who came first, because he felt both climaxes equally in their shared mind. All he knew was, by the time he was able to drift back to his full awareness, Erik was lying beside him, partially draped over Charles’ back and looking completely blissed out.

Charles broke into a beaming grin. This was a memory he hoped he would never forget.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Cover art for "Forgotten"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8258530) by [avictoriangirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/avictoriangirl/pseuds/avictoriangirl)




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